UK warship seizes 450kg of meth in Arabian Sea
A British royal navy vessel has seized 450 kilograms of methamphetamine in the northern Arabian Sea in the largest-ever bust by a joint maritime operation in the region
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British royal navy vessel seized 450 kilograms (990 pounds) of methamphetamine in the northern Arabian Sea in the largest-ever bust by a joint maritime operation in the region, officials said on Wednesday.
The HMS Montrose seized the drugs hidden aboard a stateless dhow, a traditional cargo ship that plies the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters, the joint task force said in a recent statement. The seizure took place last Wednesday.
The task force said it was unable to say where the drugs came from, who manufactured them or their ultimate destination on the situation at hand.
However, Iran over the last decade has seen an explosion in the use of methamphetamine, known locally as “shisheh” or “glass” in Farsi. That's bled into neighboring Iraq as well.
While drug lab busts have dropped in recent years in Iran, there appears to be an uptick in meth drug labs in Afghanistan, from where it is smuggled through Pakistan, the United Nations said in its 2020 World Drug Report. Both Pakistan and Iran sit on the northern Arabian Sea.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.