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Royal Marines Stop £35m Illegal Drugs Shipment with Bullseye Shot

A Royal Marine sniper from 42 Commando fired a single shot from a Wildcat helicopter, stopping a skiff in the Gulf of Oman, leading to the recovery of more than one and a half tonnes of narcotics worth 35m.
As part of sustained Royal Navy counter-narcotics efforts, Lancaster has been operating in the Middle East on a long-term deployment, following a previous £30 million seizure earlier in recent years.
At dawn, Lancaster's 815 NAS Wildcat launched to shadow three skiffs while Peregrine RWUAS fed live imagery as crews sped over 40 knots and discarded packages, leading to two skiffs abandoned and sea boats recovering narcotics.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns hailed the mission's precision and professionalism, while Commander Sam Stephens said, `This operation saw Lancaster's crewed and uncrewed aircraft working hand-in-glove under the direction of the ship's operations room`, removing seized narcotics and preventing their profits from fuelling extremism.
The operation positions Lancaster among the Royal Navy's most significant counter-narcotics successes in recent years and marked the first use of Royal Marines' non-lethal disabling fire in the Gulf region, with Lancaster expected to return to the UK soon for decommissioning in November.

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Royal Marine sniper flying backwards from helicopter makes 'remarkable shot'

Royal Marines had been secretly following the skiff as it skipped over waves in the Gulf of Oman carrying £35m of drugs. (Picture: UK MOD) This is the moment a Royal Navy sniper takes out the engine of a drug-dealing speedboat crashing through waves at nearly 50mph – as his helicopter flies backwards. As the sun rose over the Gulf of Oman, the Royal Marines were secretly tracking the skiff carrying £35m of crystal meth, heroin and hashish used t…

2 days ago·London, United Kingdom

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