Royal Netherlands Navy seizes drugs totalling 3,000 kg in Caribbean Sea

The crew of a Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) warship has confiscated narcotics totalling 3,000 kg following an interdiction operation against a so-called "go-fast" boat in the Caribbean Sea.

The interception by the crew of the patrol vessel HNLMS Friesland was conducted on May 29. However, the details of the operation were disclosed only recently by the Dutch Ministry of Defence.

The operation to seize the suspect vessel was prompted by its sighting by a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard maritime patrol aircraft earlier that same day.

Friesland headed for the vessel's reported position and launched two fast boats. The suspect vessel then fled the area, and its occupants dumped more than 100 packages into the sea, though these were all later recovered by RNLN personnel.

The recovered packages were confirmed to contain 1,837 kg of cocaine and 1,173 kg of marijuana. The narcotics have since been handed over to the US Coast Guard.

The interdiction occurred within a week of Friesland's arrival in the Caribbean as part of a scheduled deployment.