ARUBA:--- The Dutch navy ship Zr.Ms. Groningen intercepted drug transport in the early morning of 19 October. West of Aruba, the patrol ship managed to stop a so-called go-fast with 330 kilograms of cocaine on board.
The speedboat was discovered by a Dash-8, a maritime patrol aircraft from the Caribbean Coast Guard. The go-fast set out on a well-known smuggling route, after which the Groningen was activated. With the fast interception boat, the FRISC, with a combined team of the US Coast Guard and the Marine Corps aboard, the go-fast became obsolete.
The suspects and the contraband have been handed over to the US coast guard vessel Charles David Junior for prosecution in the United States. A total of 330 kilograms of drugs were seized.
Zr.Ms. Groningen has been active in the region as a station ship the Caribbean since April 2019 and alternates counter-drug operations with supporting the Caribbean Coast Guard.
