WILLEMSTAD – In the early morning of Sunday, July 16, 2023, the Dutch navy ship Zr.Ms. Groningen, in collaboration with the Caribbean Coast Guard, disrupted a drug transport, intercepting a large quantity of narcotics.

Zr.Ms. Groningen received a report from the Caribbean Coast Guard about a suspicious vessel in the Caribbean Sea. With support from the Coast Guard’s Dash-8 aircraft, Groningen took action and tracked the suspicious go-fast boat throughout the night.

Eventually, a pursuit ensued with two FRISC interception boats from Groningen, causing the go-fast boat to change course in an attempt to escape. The smugglers threw fuel barrels and drug packages overboard to gain speed.

Cocaine

Despite a lengthy pursuit, the suspicious go-fast boat managed to evade capture. However, during the subsequent search operation, more than 50 packages of over 1600 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from the sea. The contraband was seized and handed over to the Curaçao Police Force, where it was promptly destroyed.