MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fourth Royal Navy drugs bust in two months

British naval forces have taken part this week in a fourth major drugs bust on the high seas within the past two months hauling 1.3 tons of cocaine.

The combined operation in the Atlantic with the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and Spanish Customs saw the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship RFA Fort Austin, Sea King helicopters of 849 Naval Air Squadron and Royal Marines from 40 Commando assist in the discovery of drugs with a street value of £58.8 million.

The British and Spanish worked together to intercept the 950-ton offshore supply vessel MV Orca II 360miles off the Cape Verde Islands. The vessel was suspected of carrying drugs for onward transmission to Europe and the UK from South America, and Spanish Customs agents found a haul of 1.3 tons of cocaine on the ship.

The operation was swift, and left no opportunity for the traffickers to evade law enforcement agencies. The MV Orca II is now being taken into a Spanish port by Spanish Customs officers.

The latest find comes after the first success of HMS Argyll -again working with Spanish Customs and SOCA, and with the tanker RFA Gold Rover- when 1.8 tons of cocaine was found on MV Ster II off West Africa in early October.

In separate operations in the West Indies, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary supply ship Wave Ruler carried out two other major drug busts in September and October, seizing a total of about eight tons of cocaine.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said: "This is great news ? our fleet has dealt a considerable blow to those who seek to sell drugs on the streets of Britain, not just once, but four times in the past two months."

?The Royal Navy is working closely with other agencies such as SOCA in the fight against drugs, I am delighted yet again that we have been able to play our part in the battle to keep drugs off our streets", said HMS Argyll's commanding officer Commander Will Warrender