HNLMS Friesland has intercepted another drug shipment in the Caribbean. This time, it involved 318 kilos of cocaine during an operation on August 18th. The announcement was made today. This is already the eighth time the ship has intercepted drugs.
On that evening, the station ship HNLMS Friesland spotted a suspicious vessel in the Caribbean Sea. It was a so-called go-fast, a fast boat often used for drug smuggling. As soon as this was clear, both rapid interception vessels (Friscs) from the Friesland were deployed to approach the boat.
Overboard
A chase ensued, during which the smugglers threw packages overboard. The chase was called off, and the Frisc crew was subsequently able to recover 318 kilos of cocaine. The drugs were handed over to the US Coast Guard for destruction, as is customary.
Combating
HNLMS Friesland has been active in the region since May. Combating drug trafficking at sea is one of the Ministry of Defence’s responsibilities in the Caribbean. The station ship works alternately with the Caribbean Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard.