The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Yarmook, operating under the Saudi-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), seized narcotics worth more than $972 million in the Arabian Sea during Focused Operation Al Masmak.
According to an official statement, the operation took place over a 48-hour period in which PNS Yarmook intercepted and boarded two suspicious dhows that were not transmitting on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) or carrying any visible registration markings. Both vessels were later identified as stateless.
During the first boarding on October 18, the naval crew confiscated over two tons of crystal methamphetamine (ICE) with an estimated street value of $822.4 million.
Within the next 48 hours, they boarded another dhow and seized 350 kilograms of crystal meth worth $140 million and 50 kilograms of cocaine valued at $10 million.
The seized drugs were transferred to the naval ship for verification and were subsequently destroyed.
Royal Saudi Naval Forces Commodore Fahad Aljoiad, Commander of CTF 150, praised the operation, stating, “The success of this focused operation highlights the importance of multinational collaboration. PNS Yarmook has achieved one of the most successful narcotics seizures in CMF’s history.”
Focused Operation Al Masmak, which began on October 16, involved coordination among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, France, Spain, and the United States to enhance maritime security in the region.
CTF 150 operates under CMF’s mandate to prevent the movement of weapons, drugs, and other illicit cargo across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Oman.
The Combined Maritime Forces, comprising 47 nations, work collectively to maintain peace, stability, and lawful maritime activity across 3.2 million square miles of critical sea routes.