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| HMS Defender: Royal Navy seizes £3.3m of crystal meth in Arabian Sea | HMS Defender: Royal Navy seizes £3.3m of crystal meth in Arabian Sea |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Royal Navy says it has seized 11 "mailbag-sized" sacks of crystal meth in the Middle East, worth an estimated £3.3m. | The Royal Navy says it has seized 11 "mailbag-sized" sacks of crystal meth in the Middle East, worth an estimated £3.3m. |
| HMS Defender spotted the "suspicious" ship while patrolling the Arabian Sea for smugglers and traffickers. | HMS Defender spotted the "suspicious" ship while patrolling the Arabian Sea for smugglers and traffickers. |
| Sailors and Royal Marines boarded the ship, and found a total haul of 131kg. | Sailors and Royal Marines boarded the ship, and found a total haul of 131kg. |
| HMS Defender's commanding officer said he was "proud" they had seized a "significant quantity" of drugs that could have potentially reached the UK. | HMS Defender's commanding officer said he was "proud" they had seized a "significant quantity" of drugs that could have potentially reached the UK. |
| Cdr Richard Hewitt added: "This has been a real boost for the ship's company as they face Christmas away from their loved ones." | Cdr Richard Hewitt added: "This has been a real boost for the ship's company as they face Christmas away from their loved ones." |
| The Navy said the drugs contained in the bags would have had an estimated street value of £3.3m in the UK. | The Navy said the drugs contained in the bags would have had an estimated street value of £3.3m in the UK. |
| The Portsmouth-based warship HMS Defender carried out the day-long search of the boat - a dhow - after being alerted by the destroyer's helicopter. | The Portsmouth-based warship HMS Defender carried out the day-long search of the boat - a dhow - after being alerted by the destroyer's helicopter. |
| The Navy said the Wildcat helicopter discovered a solo ship without a flying flag and could not find evidence it was carrying out fishing. | The Navy said the Wildcat helicopter discovered a solo ship without a flying flag and could not find evidence it was carrying out fishing. |
| That prompted the destroyer to investigate, sending Royal Marines to secure the ship and its crew. | That prompted the destroyer to investigate, sending Royal Marines to secure the ship and its crew. |
| HMS Defender is one of more than a dozen British warships, submarines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary support vessels on duty over the Christmas period. | HMS Defender is one of more than a dozen British warships, submarines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary support vessels on duty over the Christmas period. |
| The vessel has been deployed to the Middle East since August, safeguarding merchant shipping entering and leaving the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. | |
| The Ministry of Defence said about 11,000 troops are involved in operations in more than 30 countries across the world over the Christmas period. | |
| They include personnel serving in Somalia, South Sudan, Estonia, Afghanistan, the Falkland Islands and the Caribbean. | |
| Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "Over the festive period we should all take a moment to be grateful for the selflessness of our armed forces personnel and their families at this time of year." | |