Drugs Bust: A French-British Task Force Seize 250kg Of Heroin

A French-British task force directed Australian frigate HMAS Arunta to track a dhow and recover 250kg of heroin on-board.

This is just days after British and French sailors and marines took charge of the international task group.

They are tasked with scouring two million square miles of ocean for suspicious crafts to help prevent drug smuggling. 

Based in Bahrain, they direct the daily movements of half a dozen warships - including UK frigate HMS Monmouth at present - plus long-range maritime patrol aircraft.

Drugs are known to be a major source of funding for terrorist groups in the region.

Commanding Officer HMAS Arunta, Commander Cameron Steil RAN praised the task force saying:

"While the smugglers continue to try new techniques for hiding narcotics, our boarding parties have shown that their experience, training, and techniques are up to the task at hand."

Rear Admiral Lebas, Commander of Combined Task Force 150, whose staff are drawn from the French and British navies said:

"Units operating under the command of Combined Task Force 150 continue to remove significant quantities of narcotics from international markets, and so prevent criminal and terrorist organizations benefiting from the trade".