Navy personnel managed to recover over 100 packages that were tossed overboard by the drug smugglers.
WILLEMSTAD--In a swift and coordinated anti-drug operation, the Dutch Navy intercepted more than 3,000 kilograms of narcotics in Caribbean waters between the Venezuelan Falcon state and Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.
The seizure was carried out by the naval ship Zr. Ms. Friesland on May 29, less than an hour into a deployment mission. The operation began after a patrol aircraft from the Caribbean Coast Guard spotted a suspicious vessel at sea.
Acting quickly, Friesland launched two Fast Raiding, Interception and Special Forces Craft (FRISCs) to pursue the target, triggering a dangerous chase.
As the Dutch forces closed in, the suspects on board began dumping cargo into the sea. Navy personnel managed to retrieve over 100 packages tossed overboard, which were later confirmed to contain 1,837 kilograms of cocaine and 1,173 kilograms of marijuana.
The confiscated drugs have since been transferred to the United States Coast Guard for further processing and investigation.
Commander Kirsten Gouw-Savelberg of Zr. Ms. Friesland described the mission as a textbook case of international cooperation. “This operation highlights the strong coordination between our marines, the Coast Guard, and international partners,” she said.
Zr. Ms. Friesland has been operating in the Caribbean since May 23 as part of the Royal Netherlands Navy’s station ship deployment. Its mandate includes counter-narcotics operations and humanitarian response efforts during hurricane season. The ship works closely with both the Caribbean Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard in ongoing regional security efforts.
