Indian Navy seizes 940kg drugs in Arabian Sea in 1st interdiction as CMF Member

INS Talwar of Indian Navy seized 940 kg of drugs in Arabian Sea as part of operation led by Combined Maritime Forces, a 42-nation naval partnership.

NEW DELHI: INS Talwar seized 940 kg of drugs in the Arabian Sea on April 13, the Indian Navy’s first interdiction of illicit narcotics as a member of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 42-nation naval partnership, the CMF said in a statement on Tuesday.

The warship, operating in support of the Canadian-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, seized 453 kg of methamphetamines, 416 kg of hash and 71 kg of heroin from a dhow as part of Focused Operation Crimson Barracuda, it said.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest international naval partnership, the statement said. The Indian Navy joined CMF last November.

I commend the crew of INS Talwar for their efforts throughout this Focused Operation and their hard work has paid off with this seizure of 940 kg of drugs,” said Royal Canadian Navy Captain Colin Matthews, commander, CTF 150. “This seizure, the fourth of this Focused Operation, demonstrates the effectiveness and professionalism of CMF, and of the Indian Navy, in deterring and disrupting criminal and terrorist activities at sea.”

Crimson Barracuda ended on April 15 and focused on countering terrorist and criminal organisations’ use of the high seas for smuggling operations in the western Indian Ocean region.