The Type 23 Class Frigate HMS MONTROSE F 236 has bagged more than a tonne of cannabis on the infamous “Hash Highway” in the waters of the Middle East.
Royal Marines Commandos with Royal Navy Officers boarding team recovered bales of hashish from the waters of the Gulf of Oman of which it was found aboard a dhow during a two day operation which resulted in a haul with an estimated UK street value of more than £6 million (US$7.77 million). Her embarked Wildcat helicopter came across a dhow underway in the Gulf of Oman known to be used by drug traffickers. By sunrise the next day, the frigate had arrived close to the dhow’s location. A Royal Navy Officer had reported seeing several packages floating in the water near the dhow. The packages were recovered and determined to contain hashish. The master of the dhow admitted that the packages in the water came from his vessel, and after a thorough search of the dhow, the team found another cache of hashish. Total Seizure of hashish was 1,045 kilograms.
It is also the second seizure for the frigate which had earlier intercepted a cargo of crystal meth and heroin worth around £1 million (US$1.3 million) during October 2019.
Photos of the frigate goes back to 2007.
Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Friday 28th February 2020
