The Dutch naval ship “HNLMS Groningen”, functioning as a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard patrol, disrupted a drug transport on Monday. In photo: Four packages weighing more than 200 kilos were offloaded in Port St. Maarten.
PHILIPSBURG--The Dutch naval ship HNLMS Groningen, functioning as a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard patrol, disrupted a drug transport on Monday. This is the second success for the captain and crew of the ship that has been in operation in the Caribbean since the first week of May.
HNLMS Groningen detected a suspicious vessel and started a pursuit. The Groningen’s so-called FRISC intercept boats were launched after the detection to chase the suspect vessel.
After a long chase at very high speed, the suspicious vessel managed to escape. During the pursuit the smugglers threw packages overboard, which the FRISC boats took out of the water. The four packages weighed more than 200 kilos, of which a small amount was marijuana and a larger amount was cocaine.
Groningen handed over the intercepted contraband to St. Maarten Police Force KPSM. Police acted thereafter on instructions from the Prosecutor’s Office and destroyed the seized drugs hours later.
HNLMS Groningen is active in the region as a Caribbean station ship and combines counter-drug operations with supporting the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and humanitarian aid.
