A Kiwi-led Combined Task Force (CTF 150) supported by US Navy ships has seized US$4 million ($5.8 million) worth of drugs from a stateless fishing vessel transiting the Arabian Sea.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force
The 385kg illegal shipment of heroin had been discovered by US Coast Guard personnel onboard USS Tempest and USS Typhoon while conducting a flag verification boarding in accordance with customary international law on Monday.
The confiscated drugs were destroyed at sea by US forces.
Royal New Zealand Navy Captain Brendon Clark, commander of CTF 150 said the suspicious boat was spotted during routine surveillance.
"We directed two United States ships to close that down and conduct a boarding operation so the ships inserted a team of US Coast Guard personnel and they went about searching the vessel and after a thorough search, they discovered heroin."
"From a New Zealand perspective, had the narcotics from all of the seizures from New Zealand's time in command made their way to New Zealand, they would have a street value of NZ$2.36 billion."
CTF 150 is one of three task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, which has increased regional patrols to locate and disrupt illegal maritime activity.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force
In 2021, CTF 150 has seized illegal drugs worth more than US$193 million, at regional wholesale prices, during counter-narcotics operations at sea.
"This is a higher total value than the amount of drugs the task force interdicted in the previous four years combined," Clark added.
Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force
CTF 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf protecting commercial shipping routes.
The New Zealand-led multinational team took over command of CTF 150 from Canada earlier in 2021 and will command and staff the CTF 150 until early 2022.