WILLEMSTAD - The Dutch navy ship HNLMS Groningen and the Caribbean Coast Guard intercepted a drug shipment on Thursday morning, seizing over 600 kilograms of cocaine. 

The suspicious vessel was detected by the Maritime Operations Center (MOC). Immediately, HNLMS Groningen and the Coast Guard's Dash-8 aircraft were deployed to intercept the vessel. Using the two fast FRISC boats from Groningen, the Dutch navy ship managed to overpower the suspicious vessel and forced the so-called "go-fast" to stop. 

As the FRISC boats approached, the suspects began throwing packages overboard. After a lengthy pursuit, including warning shots and stop signals, the engines of the suspicious vessel were ultimately disabled. 

In collaboration with the Dash-8 aircraft, twenty packages were retrieved from the water, and the five suspects, four Venezuelans and one Colombian, were apprehended. They, along with the packages, were handed over to the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force on Bonaire, where the narcotics were immediately destroyed. 

Last week, the naval vessel had already intercepted two drug boats. During those operations, HNLMS Groningen seized nearly 2,000 kilograms of narcotics.