BUSTED

Australian Navy Seizes $415 Million Drug Haul in Middle East

“Suspect vessels” were caught transporting 69 kilograms of heroin and eight tons of hashish.

An Australian warship has seized a $415 million haul of heroin and hashish from three ships operating in the Arabian sea, the Royal Australian Navy said Saturday. After days of operations targeting three “suspect vessels,” Australian crew members of the HMAS Warramunga boarded the ships and uncovered 69 kilograms of heroin and eight tons of hashish—the largest ever Australian seizure of hashish in Middle East maritime security operations. The navy said the massive drug stash was “intended for distribution around the world.” “This operation will impact on the flow of narcotics around the world and the use of drug money to fund extremist organizations,” Commander of Australian Forces in the Middle East, Major General John Frewen, was quoted as saying in Australian media. Authorities said the drugs will be disposed of at sea.