Officer tells of role as Navy finds £65m of drugs in Indian Ocean raid
A SCOTS-BORN Royal Navy officer has described how she helped seize £65 million of cannabis and heroin in a risky raid on a dhow sailing in the Indian Ocean.
Lieutenant Alison Ross, from Aberdeen, was aboard the Clydebuilt HMS Monmouth when they spotted the suspicious vessel and was part of a boarding party of sailors and Royal Marines.
The teams spent 60 hours searching the vessel for narcotics before eventually finding them hidden in a freezer beneath three tonnes of ice.
A total of 455kg of cannabis and 266kg of heroin was found hidden in the freezer, which would be worth millions of pounds on the streets of Britain.
The entire crew posed for a “trophy” photograph back on HMS Monmouth with their haul, which was laid out on the deck. It was then destroyed.
Ms Ross said: “After such a long search I had doubts we would find anything, but the reactions of the crew to our activity in certain areas was enough to convince us there was illegal cargo.
“Eventually, the breakthrough was made and we could bring the operation to a close, having successfully put a stop to the progress of the drugs.”
The dhow was boarded after the navy crew became suspicious as it travelled in an area not normally known for fishing.
Ian Feasey, HMS Monmouth’s commanding officer, said: “Such a substantial seizure of drugs will deal a significant blow to the international narcotics trade, which is known to provide funding for terrorist organisations. I am extremely proud of the professionalism, diligence and perseverance of my team to achieve a result in such arduous conditions.
“This has been an effort by the whole ship’s company and their efforts speak volumes about the Royal Navy’s ability and commitment to preventing illegal activity on the high seas.”
HMS Monmouth, a Type 23 frigate, was built at Yarrows in Scotstoun in the 1980s and later underwent a refit at Rosyth.
The vessel will continue its patrols of the Indian Ocean as part of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF150), a coalition of warships with a mission to promote maritime security to counter terrorist acts and related illegal activities.
CTF150, which is currently being led by the French Navy, has now scored three major drugs busts in a month. Earlier in May, Australian frigate HMAS Arunta pounced on a dhow and recovered 250kg of heroin.
That bust came hot on the heels of a double seizure of heroin by the French frigate Surcouf, which brought in 400kg of heroin, worth £120 million on the streets.