World's biggest sea trafficked drug-bust operation

[Al Bhatti]

June 27, 2014

Record-breaking heroin bust on high seas
More than 1 tonne of pure heroin hidden in the kitchen of a dhow seized on Dubai police tip-off

Dubai authorities have led to a record drug-bust operation when international naval coalition forces seized more than one tonne of high-grade heroin in high seas on April 23.

The massive drug haul was seized from a dhow sailing in international waters following a tip-off from Dubai police.

Dubai authorities passed on intelligence information that led to what was dubbed the world's biggest sea trafficked drug-bust operation, where 1.032 tonnes of heroin valued at millions of dollars were confiscated.

Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police Chief, revealed the details of the operation named “Ocean Coast”, during a press conference held on the sidelines of Dubai Police’s celebrations of International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.

He said the operation was made in collaboration with the Liaison Officers of the US Consulate in Dubai and the international Naval Coalition forces patrolling the Indian Ocean.

The Dubai Police chief said the heroin was being smuggled from an Asian country en route to an African country by a gang of Asians on board a wooden ship.

Pictures provided by Dubai police show a dhow being boarded by international naval forces and the drugs being thrown at sea.

Al Mazeina said that they received information from external sources working with the Anti-Narcotics Department at Dubai Police, and they passed the information to the Naval Coalition forces by passing the information to liaison officers at the US Consulate of Dubai on April 17.

The Department, he said, then sent an official letter on April 21 to the same officer, which included confirmation of the previous information and gave exact description of the ship and the route it is taking, the gang members and the drug shipment.

A ship from the Royal Australian Navy that was part of the Naval Coalition Forces intercepted the boat off the coast of an African country, arrested the gang members after searching the ship and finding the illegal haul hidden in the ship’s kitchen.


Record-breaking heroin bust on high seas | GulfNews.com

 

[Al Bhatti]

June 27, 2014

UAE helps seize record-breaking 1,032 kg heroin


A senior UAE police official has said UAE anti-narcotic authorities contributed to the successful seizure of a record-breaking 1,023 kg of heroin in April onbaord a dhow off the coast of Africa, the largest ever amount of heroin seized from a vessel on the high seas, when they shared confirmed intelligence on the illegal haul with the U.S. and Australian consulates in Dubai.

"The success of Operation Ocean Coast is attributed to intelligence gathered by one of the sources of the General Department of Anti-Narcotics of the Dubai Police and relayed on 17 April to the liaison officer of U.S. Consulate in Dubai and later on confirmed on 21 April in another letter to the same officer with precise description of the smugglers' dhow and its route. The intelligence led a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) frigate deployed under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) in the Indian Ocean to intercept and board the dhow off the East African coast and seize 1,023 kg of heroin onboard. The heroin consignment was en route from an Asian country to an African country," said General Khamis Mattar Al Mazina, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, Thursday at a press conference following the conclusion of the two-day 5th International Conference on Drug Discovery and Therapy.


The heroin smugglers, all Asian nationals, were arrested by the Australian frigate crew members in Operation Ocean Coast which has become the largest ever made by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 30-nation naval partnership based in Bahrain, which exists to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 2.5 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.


Al Mazina emphasised that the success of the said counter-narcotics operation is testament to the excellent experience and capabilities of Dubai anti-narcotic officers and showcases the importance of the role of the relevant U.A.E. authorities overseen by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior.


On 26 April, CMF said Australian warship HMAS Darwin attached to its Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150), pinpointed the dhow and seized 1,023 kg of heroin on a dhow intercepted about 27 nautical miles east of Mombasa on 23 April.
"According to records kept by the UN, the 1,032 kilogram haul not only represents the largest ever amount of heroin seized from dhows on the high seas, but doubles the previous record which was also set by CTF 150 in 2013," CMF quoted Hakan Demirbuken, Programme Management Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as saying.

Later in 16 May, CMF said its HMAS Darwin made another major seizure of illegal narcotics in international waters, off the East African coast, when it intercepted a dhow carrying 449 kg of heroin.

UAE helps seize record-breaking 1,032 kg heroin - Emirates 24/7