The crew from HMCS Toronto is being lauded for a massive narcotics seizure during a vessel inspection in the Arabian Sea.
The Department of National Defence announced Wednesday the recovery of approximately six tonnes of hashish by the Halifax-based frigate’s naval boarding team on May 30. The hashish was recovered without incident.
The bust was part of an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the Arabian Sea and HCMS’s fifth – and largest -- intercepted narcotics shipment since March.
According to National Defence, it is the largest hashish seizure in the history of the Combined Maritime Forces, a 29-nation naval partnership that promotes security across approximately four million square kilometres of international waters.
HMCS Toronto is currently deployed across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman.
Narcotics-smuggling in the region is “a recognized source of funding for terrorist organizations,” National Defence said.
In a statement, Defence Minister Peter MacKay congratulated HMCS Toronto’s 225 personnel for another “successful interdiction” in the Arabian Sea.
“Their efforts represent Canada’s continuing dedication toward ensuring a secure maritime environment for legitimate mariners in the region,” MacKay said.
Earlier this spring, HMCS Toronto also seized a large amount of heroin on the seas.
According to National Defence, HMCS Toronto has recovered to date approximately 7.3 tonnes of narcotics, worth hundreds of millions of dollars at street value.
