The Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond D34, which is currently operating in support of the Command Task Force (CTF) 150, in the north-western Indian Ocean, has intercepted and seized 2 382 kg of hashish from a dhow sailing at sea on 23 May.
Acting on CTF 150’s intelligence, HMS Diamond launched its embarked Wildcat helicopter to intercept the dhow, which was boarded by a team comprised of the ship’s company and a Royal Marine boarding team. Once on board the dhow the boarding team began a search which uncovered the 2.382 tons of hashish.
This seizure was the first interdiction for the Royal Navy ship while supporting CMF, coming only two days into its mission with CTF 150.
HMS Diamond has been on forward deployment since December 2024 in the lower Red Sea and Gulf of Aden assisting merchant vessels sailing the risky waters opposite the Houthi-held section of Yemen. During her time on this duty HMS Diamond shot down nine drones and one missile launched by Houthis at cargo ships.
The ship is shortly to be relieved by another Type 45 destroyer, HMS Duncan, which has sailed from Portsmouth in the UK on forward deployment to the Red Sea.
HMS Duncan is armed similarly to HMS Diamond, with the same potent Sea Viper missile system and equipped with the same radar systems able to detect distant threats with immense accuracy.
CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, a 44-nation naval partnership that is the the world’s largest.
CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.
Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander of Combined Maritime Forces, said he was extremely proud of the work of CTF 150 and HMS Diamond in preventing these drugs from reaching their final destination.
“This interdiction demonstrates the value of multinational efforts within CMF to prevent and disrupt criminal and terrorist organisations at sea,” he said.
Written by Africa Ports & Ships and republished with permission. The original article can be found here.
