A sniper based at Faslane has been involved in the seizure of more than £40m worth of cocaine in the Caribbean.
Operating from the back of a Lynx helicopter, the elite Commando fired more than a dozen precisely-aimed warning shots across the bow of a drug-smuggler’s speedboat and, when that failed to stop them, took out the boat’s engines bringing it to a sudden halt.
The shot brought to end a dramatic six-hour chase across the Caribbean.
The successful bust was sparked when a maritime patrol aircraft sighted the go-fast boat and directed Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Wave Knight to intercept.
Bearing down on the speedboat, Wave Knight launched a Lynx helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, along with the expert marksman from 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group.
“I am delighted that the Maritime Sniper Team from 43 Commando has been able to provide invaluable support to this significant counter-narcotics operation,” said Colonel Jock Fraser, Commanding Officer of 43 Commando.
“This successful operation is another example of the contribution 43 Commando teams can make to highly challenging operations.”
After the vessel was halted a specialist team of US Coastguard boarded the suspect craft and recovered 14 bales of what subsequent tests revealed it to be 350kg of cocaine with a wholesale value in the UK of around £14m.
But before the boarding team reached the vessel, the crew were observed ditching several bales overboard.
US authorities assessed that 650kg of cocaine worth around £26m was discarded, while the go-fast itself subsequently sank.
Based at HM Naval Base Clyde, the primary mission of the Royal Marines of 43 Commando is to prevent unauthorised access to the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent.
But, in addition, the marines also provide Boarding Teams and Sniper Teams as well as the very high readiness Fleet Contingent Troop.
The five crew of the go-fast plus the haul of drugs were later transferred to the US Coastguard cutter Richard Etheridge and handed over to authorities in Miami Beach.
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