Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — HMS Montrose, the ship belonging to the Combined Task Forces 150 (CTF 150), seized 450 kilograms of methamphetamine. The Royal Saudi Naval Forces is currently leading CTF 150 and the seized drugs amounted to more than $100 million, Al-Arabiya.net reported.

Rear Admiral Sulaiman Al-Faqeeh, commander of the CTF 150, said that this is the largest operation in the history of the CTF. He lauded the great efforts on the part of all partners of CTF 150 and HMS Montrose for making such a historic success.

Commodore Dean Basset, deputy commander of the CTF 150, said that the taskforce has a common vision to guarantee the safety of all those who are working in the sea.

“On certain occasions, this entails assisting those who are under distress. It also targets those who seek to misuse maritime environment for illegal acts such as terrorism, smuggling, and piracy,” he said while emphasizing that this successful operation is the reflection of the strong partnership among members of the Combined Maritime Forces, which is a multinational maritime partnership established to ensure the safety of legitimate navigation in the strategic region.

It is noteworthy that the CTF 150, led by the Saudi Royal Naval Forces for the second time, is carrying out a major mission of safeguarding a 3.3 million nautical mile area, covering the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman. Its mission also includes fighting terrorism and its related activities such as smuggling of drugs and weapons.

The taskforce also needs to ensure marine freedom and security of international waterways to facilitate the smooth flow of international trade in their areas of operations.