WILLEMSTAD – A drug trafficking operation in the Caribbean Sea was intercepted on Thursday, April 23, by the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Friesland while operating under the flag of the Caribbean Coast Guard.
According to authorities, the suspect vessel was first detected by the Caribbean Coast Guard during patrol operations in the region. After the vessel was identified as a possible drug transport, HNLMS Friesland immediately moved into action.
The naval ship deployed its two fast interception craft, known as FRISCs (Fast Raiding, Interception and Special Forces Craft), to pursue and stop the drug boat.
HNLMS Friesland
Officials said the three individuals on board surrendered without resistance.
The suspected traffickers and the seized narcotics were transferred to the Coast Guard support base in Savaneta, where they were handed over to the Aruba Police Force for further investigation and legal processing.
Authorities confirmed that the confiscated drugs have since been destroyed.
No details were immediately released regarding the quantity or type of narcotics seized.
The interception forms part of ongoing regional efforts to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean, where maritime smuggling routes remain a major challenge for law enforcement agencies.
The Caribbean Coast Guard, together with the Royal Netherlands Navy, regularly patrols the waters around Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire as part of broader efforts to disrupt organized crime and illegal trafficking networks operating in the region.