The Pakistan Navy (PN) seized more than 2,000 kilograms of methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, in a drug raid valued at $130 million in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
The statement from the navy’s Directorate General of Public Relations (DG PR) said the Tabuk PN was conducting a regional maritime security patrol in support of the Saudi-led Combined Task Force 150 under the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a naval partnership that includes the United States, when it intercepted a “suspicious dhow” operating in the Arabian Sea.
“The ship subsequently successfully carried out a major anti-narcotics operation aboard the stateless dhow, which resulted in the seizure of over 2,000kg of ice,” the statement said, adding that the seizure was the third consecutive successful interdiction carried out in the past two months by PN vessels.
The navy said these successful operations demonstrated its “enduring resolve and unwavering commitment” against illicit trafficking at sea.
“The scale of the operation, together with its impeccable execution, underlines not only the professionalism of the PN but also the effectiveness of the multinational coordination under the CMF.”
“The PN remains steadfast in its determination to safeguard national maritime interests and uphold the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, while contributing to the global commons through maritime security efforts,” the statement concluded.
Last month, PN Yarmook seized more than $972 million worth of narcotics from sailboats in the Arabian Sea.
In August, the navy and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had seized around 1,250 kg of illicit drugs worth $38 million from smugglers near the Pasni coast in Balochistan.
