US military seizes $80 mln heroin shipment from Iran

The US military said Wednesday that it had seized $80 million worth of heroin on a fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman that had departed from Iran.

This comes just two days after the seizure of $30 million worth of methamphetamine and heroin in international waters, which had departed from the same Iranian port.

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According to a statement from the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), a US Coast Guard fast response cutter made the interception Wednesday.

The American ship was part of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, which is one of four task forces that form the world’s largest multinational naval partnership.

NAVCENT said 1,964 kilograms of heroin were found on a vessel transiting international waters after departing Chah Bahar, Iran.

Bags of illegal drugs sit on the deck of a fishing vessel seized by US Coast Guard in the Gulf of Oman, May 10, 2023. (US Coast Guard)

“I’m very proud of my crew and all we’ve been able to accomplish as a team this week,” said Lt. Nick Jabs, the ship’s commanding officer. “We’re out here to work with regional partners and disrupt any destabilizing maritime activity at sea. We will continue getting after it.”

The seizure on May 8 included 580 kilograms of methamphetamine and 35 kilograms of heroin.

US and international naval units in the Middle East seized illegal drugs totaling $1 billion in value from 2021 to 2022. This year alone, they have seized illegal drugs worth an estimated US street value of more than $250 million.

Read more: Biggest threat to Gulf maritime waters is from Iran: Top US admiral