French Navy scores five drug busts in six days in Arabian Sea

By Baird Maritime - April 8, 2021.

*French Navy boarding teams from the frigate Nivôse approach a suspicious dhow leading to the capture of 678 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin on March 19, 2021. (Photo: French Navy)*

Three French Navy ships operating as part of Combined Maritime Forces’ (CMF) Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) made five successful interdictions of narcotics-carrying vessels in the Arabian Sea in a span of just six days.

The first interdiction was made on March 19 when the frigate Nivôse intercepted a high-value shipment of 367 kilograms of methamphetamine and 311 kilograms of heroin. This was swiftly followed by two concurrent counter-narcotics operations on March 22 by the helicopter carrier Tonnerre and the frigate Surcouf, which resulted in interdictions of over 3,000 kilograms and 600 kilograms of hashish, respectively.

Barely 48 hours later, Tonnerre‘s crew seized 3,200 kilograms of hashish. A concurrent counter-narcotic success at sea by Nivôse followed quickly behind, with the frigate’s crew interdicting a hashish shipment totalling 1,100 kilograms.

CMF officials said the seized narcotics totalled 8,578 kilograms and have a combined estimated wholesale value of more than US$16.66 million.