Maritime patrol nets huge haul of hashish | Arab Emirates

Maritime patrol nets huge haul of hashish

THE Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, a multi-national naval grouping that conducts maritime security operations in the Middle East, has made over half a dozen successful boardings and seized about 10 tonnes of hashish and other opiates from boats in the last six months, the commanding officer of the force said yesterday.

Speaking over telephone from his ship HMCS Iroquois in the Arabian Sea, the commander of the task force, Commodore Bob Davidson, told Gulf Times that the CTF had been able to stop ‘terror financing’ by severing the supply lines of drug traffickers in the region.

Drugs Squad/DEA, Arab Gulf style. Of course, whilst the US navy is protecting the world from the scourge of drugs, this presents a perfect opportunity to maintain a high profile in the gulf, just in case any mad-arab states get a bit fidgety and hostile towards our close friends (and "G Dubya's personal oil fields) in Kuwait, Saudi and Dubai

Monitoring a vast area spreading over 2mn sq miles, the force comprises warships from coalition nations, including the UK, France, Canada, Germany, Pakistan and the United States.

Commodore Davidson, from the Canadian Navy, has taken over the command of the force this month from Rear Admiral Jean L Kerignard of the French Navy. The command of the task force rotates among the different participating navies, with commands usually lasting about six months. “It is a huge challenge to keep an eye over such an area that includes the Gulf of Eden, Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean,” Commodore Davidson said, adding that the task force had been doing its very best under the present tough situation. The area is a vital artery of world trade that includes the main shipping routes from the Far East and the Gulf to Europe and the United States. “Our operations deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.” Asked about the fate of the drug traffickers who are apprehended in the high seas, Commodore Davidson said it was difficult to take them to courts because of the problems arising out of their nationalities as well as the complexities of jurisdiction over the location of the operation. “We are also not trained to conduct legal interrogation,” he said. Besides conducting maritime security operations, the task force also takes part in search and rescue operations. “We recently found a Somali boat that had broken down near the Gulf of Eden. Of the 70 people onboard, about 60 had died due to starvation but we were able to rescue the rest,” the CTF commander said. Another major contribution of the force is to keep the sea safe for shipping.
“Though it is not part of our mandate, we chase pirates away and keep the shipping lines safe. We have chased quite a good number of pirates away near the coast of Somalia. We also report polluting vessels to international bodies dealing with the subject,” he said. According to Commodore Davidson, presently the CTF has 10 warships and about 1,500 sailors under its disposal. The strength of the task force varies from six to 14 ships and about 1,500 to 3,000 personnel.	What, more poppy-whackers?
Asked how the operations are funded, the commanding officer said each participating country paid for its ships and men. “Japan provides fuel to some of the ships in the force.” Answering a question about the challenges faced by the CTF, Commodore Davidson said the biggest concern was the lack of adequate number of ships and men to maintain surveillance over such a vast area. “We some times depend for information on the American aircraft patrolling the seas from their base in Qatar. Countries bordering the seas that we patrol also co-operate by sharing information.” Asked about the success of the task force’s mission, the commanding officer said: “The fact that there has been no major terrorist acts worldwide in recent years is testimony to the success of the CTF. “We want to make this region as safe as possible by eliminating threats to the maritime industry.” http://www.gulf-times.com