A recent narcotics seizure by the UK warship HMS Lancaster is the latest example of how the British naval presence in the Middle East is paying dividends.

On September 7, HMS Lancaster, operating in support of the French-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, seized more than 450kg of illegal drugs including heroin and hashish in the Arabian Sea.

With a street value of approximately $9.5 million, this is the first narcotics seizure since the French navy took over command of CTF 150 from the United Kingdom in July.

"This seizure demonstrates once again the operational effectiveness of CTF 150 and illustrates the UK and France's commitment to maritime security alongside their regional and international partners," said Captain Yannick Bossu, the CTF 150 commanding officer.

"This success again demonstrates how international partners can work together in stopping illegal maritime activity which funds terrorist activity," said Commander Chris Sharp, HMS Lancaster's commanding officer.

The seizure is one of several that the ship has conducted this year, according to the Royal Navy.

Two boardings in June led to the seizure of £10 million ($12 million) of narcotics, and in May the crew intercepted £2.5 million ($3 million) worth of drugs.

HMS Lancaster, support vessel Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Cardigan Bay and minehunters HMS Bangor, Chiddingfold and Middleton were deployed to in the southern Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, the Royal Navy announced in May.

Earlier in February, the Lancaster seized Iranian weapons, including anti-tank guided missiles, from a smugglers' vessel in international waters in the Gulf of Oman.

The vessel initially attempted to navigate to Iranian territorial waters after being hailed by the Royal Navy but was stopped by a team of Royal Marines, who then boarded the small boat and recovered the suspicious packages, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.

"This seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle activity that threatens peace and security around the world," British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement at the time.

Recent seizures

Other naval ships assigned to CTF 150 have made a series of major drug seizures in recent months.

Most recently, the US Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC John Scheuerman on October 3 seized about $25 million worth of illegal drugs from a stateless vessel while operating in the international waters of the Gulf of Oman, the US Navy said in the statement.

The cutter, working under the command of CTF 150, seized 360kg of methamphetamines, 107kg of heroin and 1,961kg of hashish from the vessel during an interdiction operation.

On May 8 and 10, a boarding team from US Coast Guard cutter Glen Harris seized $80 million worth of heroin (1,964kg), $30 million worth of heroin and methamphetamine -- commonly known as "crystal meth," from two fishing vessels that departed from the Iranian port of Chabahar.

On April 21, the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton intercepted a fishing boat transiting the Gulf of Oman, seizing $42 million worth of methamphetamines and hashish.

As of May this year, naval forces supporting CTF 150 had seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated US street value of more than $250 million.

Since 2021, the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) has seized more than $1 billion in illegal drugs while patrolling waters across the Middle East.

The CMF is a 38-nation maritime coalition that includes five CTFs.

Task force

CTF 150 is one of the CMF's task forces. The CMF focuses on counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics, with notable results.

The naval partnership upholds the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles (8.3 million square km) of water encompassing some of the world's key shipping lanes.

Serving the Middle East since 1991, CTF 150 is based in Manama, Bahrain, and is commanded in rotation by participating maritime forces, with the French navy currently at the helm.

Participating nations have included Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Previous nations commanding CTF 150 have included Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy.

CTF 150's mission is to disrupt the activities of criminal and terrorist organisations by restricting their freedom to operate in the maritime domain as they transport personnel, weapons or income-generating narcotics and charcoal.

The task force focuses on maritime security outside the Arabian Gulf -- the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman -- ensuring that legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats.

This area is a vital artery of world trade, with thousands of shipping movements per year including the transportation of more than 27 million barrels of oil.

It includes the approaches to three narrow waterways where vessels are required to pass closely between two shorelines: the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal.