Royal Navy: HMS Trent seizes huge drugs haul worth more than £40million in the Caribbean Sea

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Cocaine with a street value of more than £40 million has been seized by a Royal Navy warship in the Caribbean Sea.

The Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds following a boarding operation involving Trent's sailors, Royal Marines and embarked US Coast Guard Teams. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PAThe Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds following a boarding operation involving Trent's sailors, Royal Marines and embarked US Coast Guard Teams. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA
The Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds following a boarding operation involving Trent's sailors, Royal Marines and embarked US Coast Guard Teams. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA | LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA

The Royal Navy said it is the sixth drug bust made by HMS Trent in 2024, and it has seized close to seven tons of drugs worth £551.5 million from traffickers. HMS Trent’s commanding officer Commander Tim Langford described the latest bust on August 8 as “another significant haul”.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

HMS Trent was pressed into action in this latest operation after being alerted to a speedboat that was suspected to be smuggling cocaine around 120 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.

With a US maritime patrol aircraft flying overhead, the Portsmouth-based warship closed in and dispatched the Royal Marines and US Coast Guard on board to intercept the vessel. The smugglers threw their cargo overboard in a failed attempt to avoid all the contraband from being captured.

Some 506kg of class A narcotics was seized, and three alleged smugglers have been handed over to the United States authorities for prosecution. Cdr Langford hailed the “successful operation with our American partners”, adding: “Every member of my team can be proud of another significant haul – the sixth this year.”

The Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PAThe Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA
The Patrol Ship seized a total of 506kg of class A narcotics worth more than £40 million pounds. LPhot Matt Bradley/Royal Navy/Crown Copyright 2024/PA | PA

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard said: “This recent operation highlights the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law in the region. We are sending a clear message to drug traffickers that nowhere is safe and we will disrupt and dismantle their operations wherever they are in the world.”

HMS Trent, which has been working closely with the US Coast Guard and the Joint Interagency Task Force (South), has now seized 6,995kg of drugs in 2024.

The ship is still patrolling Caribbean waters. The Royal Navy said the aim is to be a reassuring presence to British Overseas Territories during hurricane season (from June to November) and to stem the flow of illegal cargo through the region.

News you can trust since 1877
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice