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Royal Marines’ Bullseye Shot Halts £35 Million Drug Shipment In Gulf Of Oman
Royal Marines have intercepted a major drug-smuggling operation in the Gulf of Oman, stopping a speeding boat with a single precision shot and seizing illegal narcotics worth over £35 million.
The operation was carried out by HMS Lancaster and marks one of the Royal Navy’s most successful counter-drug missions in the Middle East. The interception began during a dawn patrol when HMS Lancaster launched its Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron.
The aircraft detected three suspicious high-speed skiffs and tracked them covertly while relaying information to the warship. To maintain surveillance, the crew deployed a Peregrine mini-helicopter drone, which provided live video footage of the boats’ movements.
As the Wildcat refuelled and picked up a Maritime Sniper Team from 42 Commando, the skiffs accelerated to over 40 knots and began dumping their cargo to lighten their load. Two of the boats were eventually abandoned, but one continued to flee. The Royal Marines’ snipers then took aim and disabled the skiff’s engine with a single, non-lethal shot, bringing it to an immediate stop.
Following the strike, HMS Lancaster’s sea boat team recovered the discarded packages and located a partially submerged skiff. In total, more than 1.5 tonnes of heroin, crystal methamphetamine, and hashish were seized, drugs with a street value exceeding £35 million.
The successful bust demonstrated the coordinated use of crewed and uncrewed aircraft by HMS Lancaster, showing the ship’s growing capability to disrupt illicit activities and drug trafficking across the region.
Commander Sam Stephens, the commanding officer of HMS Lancaster, said the crew’s professionalism and patience had been key to the mission’s success. He said the operation removed a large amount of drugs from circulation and stopped the profits from reaching extremist groups.
According to Wildcat pilot Lieutenant Guy Warry, the use of non-lethal disabling fire in the Gulf region was a first and proved essential in halting the smugglers. He described the live firing while flying backwards to stabilise the helicopter as a significant moment in his career, emphasising the high level of training that made the operation possible.
The UK’s Minister for the Armed Forces, Al Carns, praised the Royal Marines for their precision and skill, describing the shot that stopped the speeding boat as remarkable.
This was the first major drug interception by HMS Lancaster since May, when the ship seized another illegal shipment valued at around £30 million.
Reference: Royal Navy
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