UNIPATH STAFF
A Pakistan Navy ship participating in Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) seized $197 million worth of hashish in February 2018 in the Arabian Sea.
Pakistani warship Aslat discovered the 5 tons of hashish after requesting permission to board an unregistered dhow in international waters. A dhow is a traditional sailing vessel in those waters. The seizure continued a recent string of successes in drug interdiction for the multinational naval task force.
Between November 2017 and early February 2018, seven ships in CTF 150 confiscated an estimated $1 billion worth of illegal drugs, including 1.5 tons of heroin.
The task force’s area of operation encompasses more than 2 million square miles of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. These waters include some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Commodore Mal Wise of the Royal Australian Navy, then commander of CTF 150, commended his Pakistani partners.
“The recent seizure with PNS Aslat highlights the expertise and local operational knowledge of our partner navies that is key to achieving success,” Commodore Wise said.
CTF 150 is part of the Combined Maritime Forces, based in Manama, Bahrain.