Dec 30, 2021 - Politics & Policy

U.S. Navy seizes $4 million worth of heroin in Arabian Sea

Noah Garfinkel

U.S. service members from coastal patrol ship USS Tempest (PC 2) and USS Typhoon confiscate a fishing vessel with drugs. — U.S. service members from coastal patrol ships USS Tempest and USS Typhoon stop a fishing vessel carrying illegal drugs on the Arabian Sea on Dec. 27. Photo: U.S. Navy

Two U.S. Navy ships seized 385 kilograms (849 pounds) of heroin from a stateless fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The heroin, discovered by the USS Tempest and the USS Typhoon on Monday, is worth approximately $4 million, per the news release.

The two ships were operating as a part of an international task force that patrols different maritime areas. The group has seized more than $193 million worth of illegal drugs at sea this year — more than the previous four years combined.

Details: U.S. forces destroyed the heroin at sea. After seizing the drugs, the Navy released the nine crew members who identified themselves as Iranian.

The big picture: Opium smugglers from Iran have used sea routes to get drugs into South Asia. Iranian and Pakistani sailors are often arrested near Sri Lanka, according to AP.

Iran's border with Afghanistan, the world's largest producer of opium, has turned Iran into an important transit area for many opiates, per AP.

What they're saying: "We were able to execute this interdiction safely and with precision due to the tireless efforts of all involved,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matt Intoccia, the commanding officer of Tempest.

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U.S. Navy seizes $4 million worth of heroin in Arabian Sea

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