Royal Naval warship HMS Dauntless, deployed in the Caribbean for hurricane season, has seized almost 1.8 tonnes of cocaine – worth more than £140 million, or CI$144 million, in two drug busts.
The Royal Navy, in a statement over the weekend, said the first seizure followed a “successful operation” against drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea in which the Portsmouth-based warship hunted down a drugs-running “go-fast” vessel and seized 1,230 kilogrammes of cocaine.
Dauntless Commander Benjamin Dorrington lauded the counter-trafficking operation, saying it “demonstrates the value of working with partners such as the US Coast Guard and the professionalism of the ship’s company of HMS Dauntless”.
“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved, with her advanced technology and highly-skilled team, HMS Dauntless is making significant strides in disrupting transnational criminal organisations and protecting the lives of countless individuals affected by the drugs trade,” Dorrington added.
During the drug bust a Wildcat helicopter, Royal Marines and a US Coast Guard team were all deployed to stop and search the smugglers’ boat. The location of the drug bust was not released.
Governor Jane Owen welcomed the seizure of drugs.
“HMS Dauntless stands ready to offer humanitarian assistance and disaster response support to the Overseas Territories in the event of a major disaster. I was glad to hear that the ship’s counter-narcotics operations have also been a major success and demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding across the region,” she said in an emailed comment to the Cayman Compass.
The cocaine bust was one of two drug operations in the Caribbean Sea from the Type 45 destroyer ship.
In the other operation, the Royal Navy statement said, the ship supported other US law enforcement agencies in tracking a suspicious aircraft flying from Venezuela, and alerted ground forces, who seized a further 550kg of cocaine.
HMS Dauntless, the UK Royal Navy’s most advanced destroyer vessel, was deployed in June to the Caribbean for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
In addition to disaster relief, the Dauntless also patrols the Caribbean to counter illicit activities, working with US Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in the region, a previous statement on the ship’s deployment had said.
The Royal Navy said the operation which yielded the 550kg of cocaine was a “notable first” for a Type 45 destroyer as Dauntless used her “state-of-the-art sensors – normally used to scan the skies for hostile incoming jets and missiles – to track the flight of the suspect aircraft for authorities on the ground to intercept”.
How it unfolded
The statement said the first operation began when the warship’s advanced radar system alerted sailors to the presence of a suspect vessel.
“Acting quickly, Dauntless closed on its position, launching its embarked helicopter. The US Coast Guard team deployed when Dauntless moved in, with the helicopter providing cover overhead,” the statement said.
“It was great to see how Dauntless has integrated with multinational partners. I am proud to be part of a successful team that tracked and identified the vessel. We see the effect of drugs and the effort it takes to combat it, so it is excellent to tackle the problem closer to the source,” one of the naval officers, who was not named in the statement, said.
The statement said the deployment of HMS Dauntless “underscores the UK’s commitment to working with international partners to tackle drug trafficking head-on and protect regional and global security”.
“As HMS Dauntless continues its counter narcotics operations in the Caribbean, it stands as a symbol of the UK’s dedication to safeguarding the region and combating all forms of illicit trafficking,” it added.
One of HMS Dauntless’s officers, who was not named for operational reasons, coordinated the action with the ship’s helicopter and both boats in the water.
The officer, commenting on the drug haul, said, “it shows that not only are we able to disrupt the flow of drugs at sea but have the ability to sense and track air traffic, suspected of transporting drugs”.
This, the officer said, also highlights the importance of taking an interagency approach to counter narcotics, “as our US counterparts were able to seize the aircraft upon arrival at its destination”.
The ship, in the second incident, assisted in tracking a suspicious aircraft flying from Venezuela, which led to the 550kg of cocaine being seized.
Related Videos
