Royal Marine sniper stops boat with single shot in incredible £35m drug bust | UK | News
Royal Marine snipers have been praised after a highly-skilled mission saw them bust a £35 million drug consignment. Elite operators disabled a drug boat speeding in the Gulf of Oman with a targeted shot, disabling the boat’s engine.
Snipers took aim from a Wildcat helicopter launched from HMS Lancaster and attacked to stop the ship, which was sailing on the waves at speeds in excess of 40 knots as its crew tried to offload their illegal cargo. Armed Forces minister Al Carns said: “Our Royal Navy and Royal Marines have not only foiled a major criminal enterprise and kept drugs off our streets and from our children, but have once again demonstrated the effectiveness, decisive action and exceptionally high standard of our Armed Forces. I salute our Royal Navy and Royal Marines for their tireless work keeping us safe at home and strong abroad.”
According to the Ministry of Defense (MOD), the mission is one of the most dramatic counter-drug interventions the Royal Navy has been involved in in the Middle East.
In total, more than one and a half tonnes of drugs were seized, including heroin, crystal methamphetamine and cannabis, with an estimated street value in the UK exceeding £35 million, according to the MOD.
This is the first time snipers have been called upon to use non-lethal force to neutralize a suspicious boat in the Gulf region, where slow-moving dhows are often used to conceal illicit cargo, unlike in the Caribbean where the tactic has been effective on several occasions.
The operation began when HMS Lancaster launched her Wildcat from 815 Naval Air Squadron on a dawn patrol over the Gulf of Oman.
His crew soon caught up with three fast-moving suspicious skiffs and secretly followed them as they relayed critical information to the warship.
This allowed the Lancaster to launch the Peregrine mini-helicopter drone to continue monitoring the skiffs (again, undetected) and provide a live video feed to the ship’s operations room.
Wildcat, meanwhile, returned to refuel and board a Marine Sniper Team from 42 Commando, the Royal Marines’ specialists in boarding operations, to approach the intercept.
When the helicopter appeared over the boats, its crew immediately increased speed to over 40 knots and began jettisoning their payload into the water to reduce weight.
It ultimately led to the abandonment of two boats, but not the third, which insisted on escaping.
At this point, the sailors targeted the outboard, disabling it with a single shot, while the battleship’s marine boat crew retrieved the discarded packages and located an abandoned rowboat partially submerged in the water.
Commander Sam Stephens, Commanding Officer of HMS Lancaster, said: “I am immensely proud of the professionalism, patience and skill of the team throughout a long chase.”
“This operation saw Lancaster’s crewed and uncrewed aircraft working hand in hand under the direction of the ship’s operations room. The result was a highly successful raid, with large quantities of narcotics removed from the streets and the fueling of extremism prevented.”
Wildcat pilot Lieutenant Guy Warry added: “There were no non-lethal, crippling fires in the area and this was crucial to preventing drug smugglers moving their product.
“Being a Wildcat pilot who flew backwards to provide a stable platform for snipers while firing live weapons at drug-smuggling boats was definitely one of the highlights of his career.
“This ban is a true testament to the high levels of training that both the flight, the MST and the ship had achieved before the debacle.”
