HMS Dragon tallies sixth drug bust

The Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon has seized more than 2,000 kilograms of hashish in the ship’s sixth drug bust in three months.

The drugs were found in 101 bags on a vessel apprehended by the Portsmouth-based warship in the Indian Ocean.

The suspect vessel was spotted by Dragon’s Wildcat helicopter during a night-time sortie. After closing in on the dhow and taking a closer look, the destroyer’s crew decided to investigate further.

The destroyer then launched two fast sea boats carrying a boarding team of sailors and Royal Marines Commandos to detain the dhow, a type of fishing vessel common in the region.

After questioning the master and his crew, the boarding team became suspicious that the dhow was not likely to be conducting legal activities. The search for any evidence began immediately afterwards and the 101 bags of hashish were soon discovered.

After documenting their haul, the boarding team destroyed the narcotics before returning to Dragon.