The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Yarmook was inducted into the Pakistan Navy fleet in December 2020. — Photo courtesy of Pakistan Navy

KARACHI — Pakistan Navy ship Yarmook seized narcotics worth more than USS$972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement issued on Wednesday from the naval network overseeing the operation.

The Combined Maritime Force (CMF), a naval partnership that includes the United States, said the Pakistani naval vessel intercepted two different dhow sailing boats within 48 hours last week. It was working in “direct support of Saudi-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150” of the CMF during focused operation Al Masmak, which began on October 16.

“The crew boarded the first dhow and seized over two tons of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $822,400,000 [on] October 18. Less than 48 hours later, the crew boarded a second dhow and seized 350 kilogrammes of [crystal meth] worth $140,000,000 and 50kg of cocaine worth $10,000,000,” the CMF statement said.

The narcotics were transported back to the ship for testing to confirm the contents and subsequently disposed of, the statement added.

The intercepted vessels were “identified as having no nationality”, it said without indicating where they had originated.

It was “one of the most successful narcotics seizures for CMF,” Royal Saudi Naval Forces Commodore Fahad Aljoiad, commander of the CMF taskforce carrying out the operation, was quoted as saying.

“The success of this focused operation highlights the importance of the multi-national collaboration,” he further stated.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement that the achievement highlighted its “unwavering commitment to regional maritime security, global peace, and the collective fight against illicit trafficking at sea”.

The statement further said that Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the crew for their professionalism and dedication.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said that the achievement reflected “national pride, professional excellence, and Pakistan Navy’s unwavering commitment to regional peace and maritime security.”

The commissioning ceremony for Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Yarmook was held in Romania in February 2020 and it was inducted into the Pakistan Navy fleet in December 2020.

PNS Yarmook is an electronic warfare, anti-ship and anti-air platform with cutting edge self-protection and terminal defence systems. The ship is capable of performing a variety of maritime operations and unmanned aerial vehicle operations simultaneously. — THE DAWN/ANN