The Pakistan Navy, operating under the Saudi-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), has seized narcotics worth nearly $1 billion during two major operations in the Arabian Sea within a span of 48 hours.

According to the CMF, the operations were part of Focused Operation AL MASMAK, conducted under the command of the Saudi-led Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150).

The Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Yarmook carried out the interceptions, boarding two suspicious dhows that were not transmitting on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and bore no external markings, later identified as stateless vessels.

During the first operation on October 18, the naval crew seized over two tonnes of crystal methamphetamine, also known as ICE, with an estimated street value of around $822 million.

Less than two days later, another dhow was intercepted, carrying 350 kilograms of ICE worth $140 million and 50 kilograms of cocaine valued at $10 million. The total seizure amounted to over $972 million.

The CMF confirmed that the confiscated narcotics were transported back to the ship for testing and later destroyed in accordance with operational protocols.

Officials from the Combined Maritime Forces said that this was one of the most successful narcotics seizures ever conducted by the task force.

Commodore Fahad Aljoiad of the Saudi Arabian Navy, who leads CTF-150, emphasised that the achievement was the result of effective collaboration and coordination among the involved naval forces.

Focused Operation AL MASMAK, launched on 16 October, involved naval forces from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Spain, and the United States. The mission aimed to strengthen regional maritime security and stop the flow of illegal substances through key shipping lanes.

CTF-150 works to prevent the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and other illegal materials across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Oman.

The Combined Maritime Forces, comprising 47 nations, patrols and safeguards more than 3.2 million square miles of strategic waterways to uphold international maritime security.

In a separate statement, the Pakistan Navy said the success showed its firm commitment to regional security, global peace, and the fight against illegal trafficking at sea.

References: Al Jazeera, combinedmaritimeforces