NAVY’S £456M DRUGS BUSTS
Record haul of narcotics seized in Gulf and Caribbean this year
The Royal Navy’s key role in the battle against illegal drugs has been brought into sharp focus after a recordbreaking year seizing illegal drugs.
In total, in 2020 narcotics with a street value of £456m have been seized, thanks to co-ordinated efforts by a team onboard support ship RFA Argus and patrol ship HMS Medway, which although spending most of her time in the Caribbean calls Portsmouth her home.
THE Royal Navy is celebrating a record year after seizing more than £450m worth of drugs, underlining its vital role in fighting illegal global narcotics and keeping streets safe at home.
Raids in the Gulf and Caribbean landed the navy £456m worth of drugs – over £150m more than in 2019 which saw £290m seized.
The bulk of drugs captured this year involved stings by navy support vessel RFA Argus which scooped a massive £340m worth of illegal substances.
Most of the drugs were captured between September and December with Argus returning home triumphant earlier this month after seizing more than £400m of drugs in the Caribbean.
During the last three months, Falmouth ship Argus alongside patrol ship HMS Medway – the Royal Navy’s permanent forward presence in the Caribbean, which calls Portsmouth her home port – seized 5,373kg of cocaine and 28kg of amphetamines, in eight separate busts.
Argus had been in Bermuda, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands to prepare for potential aid missions, working alongside French, Dutch and US forces.
Argus’ commanding officer, Captain Kevin Rimell, said after the bust: ‘This deployment has delivered unprecedented success in counter-narcotics operations.
‘This has been made possible by a team of highly professional and experienced personnel embarked in Argus, the culmination of which has been the support we have delivered to the people of Honduras in the aftermath of two hurricanes.’ The final drugs bust before the journey home in December saw an American patrol aircraft notify the control room of a nearby suspect vessel.
The ship’s Wildcat helicopter and a combined Royal Marines and US Coast Guard (USCG) team were quickly dispatched and 375kg of cocaine was seized – worth £30m on UK streets.
The remarkable efforts of the ship’s company reinforced the importance of being proactive internationally, said First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin. He said: ‘I am extremely proud of what RFA Argus has achieved during her deployment.’