NZ-led naval taskforce wraps anti-drug operation with $1.8b haul

A New Zealand-led international naval task force in the Middle East aimed at disrupting drug smuggling has concluded with a final haul of 7 tonnes of illicit substances worth NZ$1.8 billion.

Fifty-five boardings took place in the six months that Combined Maritime Task Force 150 (CTF 150) was under the command of Royal New Zealand Navy Commodore Rodger Ward.

Seven tonnes of narcotics, including methamphetamine, hashish and heroin, were seized and destroyed as a result, with a combined street value of more than NZ$1.8 billion.

These busts included 2357kg of hashish; 1000kg of heroin, 660kg of hashish, and 6kg of amphetamine tablets; 50kg of heroin and 210kg of methamphetamine; and 121kg of heroin and 2386kg of hashish.

Combined Task Force 150 was one of five under the Combined Maritime Forces based in Bahrain — focused on maritime security in the Middle East region.

The New Zealand-led team was supported by personnel from the militaries of Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and the United States.

Ward said the strength of the Combined Maritime Forces was the 46 nations working together to uphold the rules-based international system.

"In particular, ensuring the freedom of the global maritime commons, the waters which allow our trade to flow safely from nation to nation."

He said the mission was anchored by four objectives: whakapono (trusted partners), mahi tahi (working together), kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and he heremana tatou (we are sailors).

"We based all of our operations and activities on these and they ensured that we got the most out of this opportunity."

More boardings were conducted by CTF 150 than over similar periods in previous years, but fewer drugs were found, Ward said.

"The evidence of our success is not just the amount of drugs we interdicted," Ward said.

"Our engagement with partners across the region indicates that the amount of narcotics we disrupted could be as much as three times that. CMF is focused on countering this illicit activity and the smugglers know that."

He said he was proud of what the 26-strong multinational staff were able to achieve.

"We can all go home, happy with the fruits of our labours."

HMNZS Te Kaha was assigned to CTF 150 for two months before it left the region.

During this time, it conducted a "significant number" of boardings, the NZDF said in a statement.

"The intelligence collected also resulted in the disruption of further smuggling operations."