More than a few carrier bags there (Picture: Royal Navy/SWNS)
Crew members of a Royal Navy warship posed behind a mountain of drugs heaped on deck after seizing 3.7 tonnes of narcotics.
The massive haul came during a patrol of the Indian Ocean, using a helicopter sent up to scan for suspicious boats.
Within 24 hours, commandos from HMS Lancaster swooped on two separate vessels and found an estimated £33 million of drugs including heroin, hashish and crystal meth.
After the photoshoot showing the sheer size of the operation, the drugs were destroyed.
The warship, based in Portsmouth, was on its first security patrol following a sea training period when its Wildcat helicopter spotted a boat to investigate.
An eight-hour operation then saw Royal Marines from 42 Commando secure the vessel, to allow the warship’s boarding team to get on board and search for any illicit cargo.
Commandos board the suspicious boat (Picture: Royal Navy/SWNS)
A stash of drugs was found on board (Picture: Royal Navy/SWNS)
The Wildcat helicopter spotted a suspicious vessel (Picture: Royal Navy/SWNS)
Nearly 100 packages – each containing smaller parcels – were seized, with the drugs thought to have been trafficked from the Middle East.
The crew struck again when they boarded another ship in the Indian Ocean and recovered another 2.4 tonnes of hashish.
HMS Lancaster was working so far from home as part of a multinational operation, involving over 30 countries and based in Bahrain, to disrupt drug trafficking networks. Combined Task Force 150 covers more than two million square miles of ocean in the Middle East.
The British frigate’s Commanding Officer Commander Chris Sharp said: ‘I am exceptionally proud of the entire team in Lancaster executing these two interdictions on the first two days of our deployment.
‘Complex interceptions like these in such a challenging environment require true teamwork across the entire ship’s company.
‘This success is shared with our partners in CTF 150 who provided essential support to the operation.’
The successful drugs bust comes just days after HMS Trent seized nearly £17 million worth of narcotics in the Caribbean Sea.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps added: ‘The fantastic achievements of the crew of HMS Lancaster and Royal Marine Commandos in the Indian Ocean shows the important role our Navy plays policing the oceans.
‘Their relentless effort and professionalism have dealt another decisive blow to criminal networks.
‘Following HMS Trent’s similar success in seizing a substantial amount of drugs on the other side of the world, the Royal Navy continue to lead the UK’s commitment to disrupting drug smugglers across the globe.’
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