WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch naval vessel Zr. Ms. Friesland has intercepted another major drug shipment in the Caribbean. During an operation on August 18, the crew recovered 318 kilograms of cocaine from the sea, the Ministry of Defense announced Thursday. This marks the ship’s eighth drug bust since its deployment in May.

On the evening of the incident, the crew detected a suspicious vessel—a so-called go-fast, a high-speed motorboat frequently used in drug trafficking. Once it became clear that the vessel was engaged in smuggling, both of Friesland’s FRISCs (fast interceptor boats) were deployed to pursue it.

During the chase, the crew of the go-fast threw several packages overboard. After the pursuit ended, Friesland’s teams retrieved the floating packages from the water.

The intercepted drugs were subsequently handed over to the U.S. Coast Guard for destruction.

The repeated seizures highlight the ongoing role of Dutch naval forces in international anti-drug operations across the Caribbean region.