HMAS Arunta narcotics interdiction
HMAS Arunta’s embarked helo detected a dhow in a position with a very well-known history of drug trafficking in the area. The ship was able to conduct an over-the-horizon boarding where we proceeded into the dhow, we intercepted it. During the search by the boarding party, they located a hidden compartment. Once the hidden compartment was able to be inspected they found a large number of illegal narcotics. We were able to remove the narcotics from the hidden compartment seized them and transported them back to Arunta for destruction.
The importance of these sorts of victories is that we’re seizing and destroying illegal narcotics the sales of which would be used to fund terrorism that’s how this unit and buttoning into that larger operation in the fight against terrorism in the region.