Key Takeaway:
- The U.S. Navy rescued five Iranians suspected of smuggling drugs after they set fire to their stash onboard a traditional sailing vessel off the coast of Oman.
- Sailors from the patrol craft USS Sirocco arrived, saving the men. Sailors also recovered over 1,745 kilograms of hashish, 500 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 30 kilograms of heroin.
The U.S. Navy stated it had rescued five Iranians suspected of smuggling drugs after they set fire to their stash onboard a traditional sailing vessel off the coast of Oman.
The Navy released an aerial surveillance clip showing the traditional ship, called a dhow, as it sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. Those on board pour a liquid over the cargo hold as the Navy approaches. Smoke then flows from the vessel after those on board set the fire, with an explosion rocking the ship.
Sailors from the patrol craft USS Sirocco arrived, saving the men. Sailors also recovered over 1,745 kilograms of hashish, 500 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 30 kilograms of heroin. The Navy recovered drugs worth $14.7 million.
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Sailors believed that represented only half of all the drugs on board the dhow, with the rest burning up or sinking with the vessel, said Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet.
The Navy said that the five Iranians rescued from the dhow received medical treatment and have been handed over to authorities in Oman. One extra Iranian on board the dhow remains missing.
Iran didn’t immediately acknowledge the incident on Thursday.
The Navy and the allied forces in the region conduct anti-narcotics patrols throughout Mideast waterways. Smugglers often use dhows to quietly transport heroin from Afghanistan and other drugs through the area.
Source-CTV News
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