Portsmouth leaders stunned by courage of the Royal Navy in £1bn drug bust haul

Fareham MP Suella Fernandes was stunned by the action of the Royal Navy.

She said: ‘Their level of courage is staggering. They put their lives in danger every day. That’s their day job, to risk their safety and their security.

‘These are dads, brothers and sons – so what they’re doing is a huge sacrifice.

‘So all that sacrifice, courage and sense of duty for Britain has left me feeling humbled and grateful.’

Miss Fernandes added the actions showed the ‘vital role’ the navy plays in securing the nation and tackling the ‘insidious’ scourge of drugs worldwide.

She said: ‘That just shows how the level of expertise and bravery from our naval personnel – many based in Fareham – is making such a difference to national security interests around the world,’

Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage added: ‘It really puts into perspective how valuable the Royal Navy is not only to Britain, but to the whole world.

‘If it wasn’t for the dedication and bravery of our sailors, many of whom are Gosport born and bred, these drugs would end up on our streets where they perpetuate a vicious cycle of addiction, poverty and crime.

‘The role that the Royal Navy plays in curtailing the international, illegal trade in narcotics is utterly essential to degrading transnational networks of organised crime and tackling the grass-roots social problems engendered by drug use in communities across the world.’

While armed forces minister and Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt said this was ‘another example of the impressive work’ of the navy,

The raids saw the Royal Navy seize almost £1bn in just under two years.