Narco-sub packed with £160million worth of cocaine is intercepted by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy commandos have stormed their first narco sub, seizing two-tonnes of cocaine worth a staggering £160m.
Royal Navy commandos have stormed their first narco sub, seizing two-tonnes of cocaine worth a staggering £160m.
Royal Marines based on patrol ship HMS Trent made the historic bust during a patrol in the Caribbean.
The secret underwater submarine is used by drug cartels to ferry huge quantities for narcotics around the world.
Powered by twin electric engines, the stealthy boats can glide undetected under the waves, carrying up to six-tonnes of drugs.
A boarding team made up of Royal Marines from 47 Commando, specialist sailors and US Coast Guard personnel, clambered aboard the vessel in waters 190 nautical miles south of the Dominican Republic.
This is the moment elite commandos from the Royal Marines stormed their first narco-sub
The submarine was intercepted in the Caribbean and was packed with £160m of cocaine
Royal Navy personnel on board HMS Trent, supported by the US Coast Guard, made the seizure last month, (pictured are naval staff with some of the drugs seized)
The crack team of operators seized 2,000kg of cocaine with a street value of £160m, striking yet another huge blow to the Caribbean drugs trade.
The bust is the eighth carried out by Portsmouth-based HMS Trent, which has stropped £750m of drug reaching Britain in just seven months.
HMS Trents 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 Navys 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.
These operations are a team effort, and require involvement from every single member of my crew irrespective of their usual role – they can be extremely proud of what they have achieved.
This eighth drugs bust took place on August 26, just 72 hours after Trents last successful raid in which 462kg of cocaine worth £37m was seized.
About 90 nautical miles north of where they stopped the narco-sub, a high-speed night-time pursuit by Trents sea boats saw two suspects and 12 bales of drugs seized, ready to be handed over to US authorities.
Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Trent (pictured) has carried out eight busts in just seven months, seizing almost £750million of drugs
Pictured are boarding teams from HMS Trent surrounding the drug-running submarine
A sailor from HMS Trent is seen carrying a bag of narcotics seized from the narco sub
Having seized 9,459kg of narcotics – worth nearly £750m – Trent surpasses HMS Argyll as the best hunter of smugglers in the Royal Navy this century, smashing the frigates £620m running total
These successful interceptions disrupt Transnational Criminal Organisations (TCO), and underscore the Royal Navys vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law both at home and abroad.
This role is more important than ever with the flow of drugs to Europe and the UK, where an estimated 117 tonnes is consumed per year, grows significantly.
HMS Trent is now continuing with its patrol of the Caribbean.
As well as hunting down drug gangs. Trent can also provide humanitarian aid during the hurricane season.
A sub of cocaine at the end of a rainbow: Royal Navy boarding teams approach the blue narco submarine
Aboard the ship are around 50 specialists in disaster relief operations, including Crisis Response Troop from 24 Commando Royal Engineers.
As well as carrying equipment to make repairs to damaged infrastructure and life-saving medical supplies, the ship has a drone system, called the Puma, which provides vital reconnaissance and surveillance.
The ship recently visited the British Virgin Islands, making repairs on Tortola after Tropical Storm Ernesto had passed through the region.
