Drugs Worth $25 Million Discovered from a Stateless Ship in the Sea of Oman

The U.S. Coast Guard's fast response ship 'John Schoerner' discovered and seized drugs worth approximately $25 million from a stateless ship while patrolling international waters in the Sea of Oman. On October 3, this American ship confiscated 360 kilograms of methamphetamine, 107 kilograms of heroin, and nearly two tons of hashish from the flagged vessel. This is the second time in a month that the combined task force of the naval coalition of 38 countries based in Bahrain has intercepted illegal drug transfers at sea. Last month, the British Royal Navy's HMS Lancaster (F229) discovered and seized over 450 kilograms of illegal drugs, including heroin and hashish, worth about $9.5 million in an operation in the Arabian Sea. Captain Yannick Bousso, commander of the combined naval task force, stated, 'The new seizure is the second since the French Navy took command of the task force last July.' In May of this year, a U.S. Navy destroyer discovered a drug shipment worth $42 million while inspecting a fishing boat intending to cross the Sea of Oman. The crew of this fishing boat identified themselves as Iranian nationals. The 'CTF 150' task force conducts maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean to disrupt illegal activities associated with criminal and terrorist organizations, including the trafficking of personnel, weapons, and drugs. These efforts also help ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through an area free from non-state threats. This task force is the largest multinational maritime partnership in the world, with member forces operating in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Sea of Oman, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. Since 2021, combined naval forces have seized over $1 billion worth of illegal drugs while patrolling waters across the Middle East.