Royal Navy ship HMS Trent, which visited the Cayman Islands after Hurricane Beryl, has seized cocaine worth almost US$210 million from a ‘narco-sub’ in the Caribbean Sea.
The seizure, on 26 Aug,, was made 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic and is the first ‘narco-sub’ seizure for the ship stationed in the Caribbean, according to a statement from the Royal Navy issued on Thursday.
HMS Trent visited the Cayman Islands to support relief efforts following Hurricane Beryl’s passage in early July.
The ship had been on standby to provide disaster relief and docked in Cayman the weekend after Beryl. While humanitarian aid wasn’t needed, the opportunity served as an exercise to fine-tune cooperation for the future, government said at the time.
This latest drug bust by the UK naval officers marked the eighth one in seven months for the Portsmouth-based patrol ship, which has prevented about US$985 million worth of narcotics reaching its planned destinations, the release said.
Trent’s latest operation was executed alongside the US Coast Guard and a US maritime patrol aircraft.
“The ship’s boarding team – comprising US Coast Guard personnel, Royal Marines from 47 Commando and specialist sailors – clambered aboard the semi-submersed vessel… The team seized 2,000kg of cocaine with a street value of £160m [US$210 million], striking yet another blow to the Caribbean drugs trade,” the release said.
HMS Trent’s Commanding Officer Commander Tim Langford said, “It has been a busy yet rewarding eight months for Trent whilst deployed to the Caribbean, and this latest seizure reinforces the utility of Royal Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessels in the delivery of this vital tasking.
“My skilled team and our embarked USCG Law Enforcement Detachment fought challenging conditions to interdict this semi-submersible – rarely seen in the Caribbean – and were rewarded with another record haul.”
Calling these operations “a team effort”, he added the work requires “involvement from every single member of my crew irrespective of their usual role – they can be extremely proud of what they have achieved”.
The drug bust took place 72 hours after Trent’s last interdiction in which 462kg of cocaine worth nearly US$49 million were seized.
That operation took place about 90 nautical miles north of where they had stopped the narco-sub.
The high-speed night-time pursuit by Trent’s sea boats culminated in two suspects and 12 bales of drugs seized, ready to be handed over to US authorities, the release said.
Having seized 9,459kg of drugs over seven months, HMS Trent surpassed HMS Argyll as the “best hunter of smugglers in the Royal Navy this century”, according to the release.
Its US$985 million worth of drugs also smashed the HMS Frigate’s US$815 million running total, including busts in the Caribbean during patrols in 2014.
“These successful interceptions disrupt Transnational Criminal Organisations (TCO), and underscore the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both at home and abroad,” the release added.
HMS Trent will continue to patrol the Caribbean as “a reassuring presence to British Overseas Territories during hurricane season (from June to November) and to stem the flow of illegal cargo through the region”.
About HMS Trent
Around 50 specialists in disaster relief operations, including Crisis Response Troop from 24 Commando Royal Engineers, are on board.
The ship carries equipment to make repairs to damaged infrastructure, along with lifesaving medical supplies.
The ship also has a drone system, called the Puma, operated by 700X Naval Air Squadron, which provides vital reconnaissance and surveillance.
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