Dutch offshore patrol vessel nabs two tonnes of cocaine

Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol ship HNLMS Groningem has seized two tonnes of cocaine after intercepting a small fishing boat in the Caribbean Sea.

Five crew members were detained and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard together with the found contraband.

A U.S. maritime reconnaissance plane spotted the fishing boat and directed the navy ship with an embarked American boarding team towards it.

Members of the boarding team had to be quick as the fishing boat’s engine broke down and the boat started taking on water. The team managed to find the cocaine hidden in a compartment in the boat before it sank.

HNLMS Groningen currently serves as the Royal Netherlands Navy station ship in the Caribbean. The ship’s tasks include counterdrug operations conducted in cooperation with a number of international agencies fighting to stem the flow of drugs.