Navy Snipers Shoot Out Drug Boat's Engines
Cocaine worth £8.7m is seized from a boat, after HMS Argyll deploys a helicopter with Royal Marines snipers to intercept it.
16:50, UK, Saturday 06 December 2014
A boat smuggling 215kg of cocaine has been seized by the Royal Navy, after two Royal Marines snipers aboard a Lynx helicopter shot out its engines.
The helicopter was sent out from the HMS Argyll warship after the boat refused to stop.
It took seconds for all three engines to be disabled during the 23 November operation, bringing the smugglers to a halt in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
It is thought the cocaine on board was worth £8.7m.
Lt Jonny Hamlyn, the Lynx pilot, said: "I had to work hard to keep the helicopter in the right place for the sniper team, and for us to successfully disable the go-fast was a great team effort."
HMS Argyll's counter-narcotics bust in the Atlantic Ocean. Pics: Ministry Of Defence
The Royal Marines snipers were sent out on a Lynx helicopter
HMS Argyll has been involved in counter-narcotics patrols for six months. In total, her crew has recovered nearly 1,900kg of cocaine - worth £77m - during four seizures.
The vessel, now heading back to Britain for Christmas, was part of Operation Martillo, a 15-nation effort to stop the worldwide, illegal movement of drugs from South America. The effort is also trying to restrict the access criminal organisations enjoy to the region by air and sea.
Last month, the Plymouth-based Type 23 frigate was involved in a high speed chase to intercept a suspicious vessel.
Paul Hammond, HMS Argyll's Commanding Officer, said: "We have had a series of drug busts and they have all been different.
"They have ranged from night time chases to disabling engines with sniper fire - however, they have all shown the effect and versatility that can be delivered by a Royal Navy warship."