The Royal Navy on Op KIPION has hit the global illegal drugs network after frigate HMS Lancaster seized £5.4m of Class A drugs in the Middle East.
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Press Release, Whale Island, 14 March 2025: The Royal Navy has struck a £5.4m hit to drug traffickers after HMS Lancaster pounced in the Middle East. In the navy’s first bust of 2025, sailors and Royal Marines from the Portsmouth-based warship seized – and subsequently destroyed – heroin and methamphetamine following a concerted effort which saw drones play a key role for the first time.
It was thanks to the sharp eyes of operators on one of the new Peregrine remote-controlled mini-helicopters that suspicious activity was spotted on boats side-by-side in the northern Arabian Sea in the dead of night. That prompted the frigate to launch her Wildcat helicopter for closer inspection. When its crew arrived on the scene they could clearly see packages being transferred from a small fast boat on to a dhow, the traditional fishing/cargo vessels commonplace in the region. The actions were the clear sign of a drug smuggling operation.
As the transfer continued, HMS Lancaster charged down on the scene at full speed. The smugglers did not surrender but attempted to get rid of their illegal haul, dumping the packages overboard – all under the gaze of the helicopter and crew on the frigate’s bridge. The crew of the warship’s sea boat fished the packages out of the water then ferried them back for testing on board.
These successful interceptions not only disrupt criminal networks in the UK but also underscore the Royal Navy’s vital role in maintaining maritime security and upholding international law in the region.
“As a coxswain of Lancaster’s sea boats I regularly play a key part in our boarding operations,” said Able Seaman Tom Urie. “It is hugely rewarding to get a bust; it makes the long deployments and time away from family really worthwhile, knowing I’m making a difference back home.”
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Wildcat pilot Lieutenant Commander Rachel Rychtanek – on exchange with the Royal Navy from the US Coast Guard – added: “Today’s successful drug bust underscores the vital role that the Royal Navy plays in international maritime security.
“This success has strengthened allied partnerships and signifies the importance of upholding international law.”
In all, some 340kg of heroin and 83kg of methamphetamine were recovered. Initial estimates suggest £5.4m drugs have been removed from the global illegal narcotics trade. While the drugs were being weighed and tested, sailors and Royal Marines continued to search the dhow for further drugs and picked up vital intelligence on illicit activity in the region. This operation highlights the unique role our Armed Forces have to play in working upstream to disrupt criminal operations and make our streets safer back at home.
Commander Sam Stephens, HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, said the success was an outstanding team effort – and underscored the usefulness of the new Peregrines, which were only introduced on operations at the end of 2024. He continued: “I am extremely proud of my whole team for their professionalism and dedication in achieving this success.
“We have removed £5.4m of Class A substances from the black market and disrupted those who threaten our interests.”
HMS Lancaster was operating as part of the international Combined Task Force 150 which is committed to clamping down on illegal activity in the Middle East region. The frigate operates out of Bahrain where she has been based for more than two years.
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