Canadian-led Combined Task Force 150 seizes 770 kg of methamphetamine in the Arabian Sea

Bags of illegal narcotics seized from a vessel are stacked on the deck of the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) in the Arabian Sea, March 5. Glen Harris was operating under Combined Task Force 150, one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. CTF 150 focuses on maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf.

By Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs | March 09, 2024

MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter operating under the Canadian-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 of Combined Maritime Forces seized 770 kg of methamphetamine from a dhow in the Arabian Sea, March 5.

Based on intelligence provided by CTF 150, the Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) seized the methamphetamines and, after documenting and weighing the illicit haul, properly disposed of it.

“I am extremely proud of the work of the Combined Task Force 150 team and USCGC Glen Harris in preventing these drugs from reaching their final destination. This interdiction demonstrates the value of multinational efforts within the Combined Maritime Forces to prevent and disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations at sea,” said Canadian Navy Capt. Colin Matthews, Commander CTF 150.

Glen Harris is forward deployed to Bahrain. The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships operating in the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East.

CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

CTF 150 is one of five task forces under CMF, the world’s largest multinational naval partnership, and focuses on maritime security operations in the region. CTF 150 supports other CMF Task Forces and their member nations, with support and intelligence further enabling weapons and drug interdictions in the region. The 41-nation naval partnership upholds the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.