Australian and New Zealand frigates operating in the Middle East region seized almost a tonne of narcotics worth an estimated street value of $711 million in June. Royal Australian frigate HMAS Newcastle netted 724kg of narcotics worth an estimated $597 million. During the same operation, New Zealand ship HMNZS Te Kaha made two seizures totalling 257kg of narcotics worth an estimated NZ$235 million. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion played a cruical part in the second New Zealand find. Both warships were patrolling separately as part of the Combined Maritime Forces, Combined Task Force -150. All but small samples of the drugs seized were destroyed and the samples transferred to appropriate law enforcement agencies as evidence and for further testing. HMAS Newcastle’s Commanding Officer Commander Dominic MacNamara said narcotics seizures denied a key source of funding to terrorist organisations. 38
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