Willemstad – The naval ship Zr.Ms. Groningen performing coast guard duties, did a drug catch on the evening of 30 July 2019. During a patrol north of the ABC islands a Go Fast vessel was spotted. The NH-90 helicopter was dispatched from Zr.Ms. Groningen and stopped the vessel whereby approximately 470 kg of cocaine was found and confiscated.

Zr.Ms. Groningen is a naval ship that has been active in the Caribbean since April 20. The ship is used to sail during counter-drug operations and during humanitarian assistance. In addition, it is also used for various coastguard tasks in the Caribbean such as tracing illegal fishing, environmental offenses and deployment during SAR campaigns. For performing these tasks, Zr.Ms. Groningen is equipped with two FRISCs (fast interception vessel) and an NH-90 helicopter.