The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) praised Pakistan’s Navy for seizing narcotics worth more than $972 million from sailboats in the Arabian Sea. The statement has been issued on the recent development on Tuesday from the naval network overseeing the operations.
The Combined Maritime Force, a naval partnership that includes the United States, informed that the Pakistani naval intercepted two different Dhow Sailing Boats within 48 hours last week. It was working in direct support of the Saudi-led Combined Task Force 150 of the CMF during Focused Operation Al Masmaq, which began on October 16.
“The crew boarded the first dhow and seized over two tons of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $822,400,000 on October 18. Less than 48 hours later, the crew boarded a second dhow and seized 350 kilogrammes of [crystal meth] worth $140,000,000 and 50kg of cocaine worth $10,000,000,” the CMF statement said.
The security forces transported the narcotics back to the ship for testing to confirm the contents, and subsequently disposed of the statement added. The intercepted vessels were identified as having no nationality, it said, without indicating where they had originated.
It was “one of the most successful narcotics seizures for CMF,” Royal Saudi Naval Forces Commodore Fahad Aljoiad, commander of the CMF taskforce carrying out the operation, was quoted as saying.
“The success of this focused operation highlights the importance of the multi-national collaboration,” he further stated.
It was “one of the most successful narcotics seizures for CMF,” Royal Saudi Naval Forces Commodore Fahad Aljoiad, commander of the CMF taskforce carrying out the operation, was quoted as saying.
“The success of this focused operation highlights the importance of the multi-national collaboration,” he further stated.
Pakistan Navy, in a statement, said that the achievement highlights its unwavering commitment, “ to regional maritime security, global peace, and the collective fight against illicit trafficking at sea”.
It further said that the successful operation also reaffirms Pakistan’s active role as a responsible maritime partner, contributing to peace and security in the wider Indian Ocean region.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf also commended the crew for their professionalism and dedication.
Read more: Is Pakistan’s national carrier PIA resuming direct flights to USA?
“He emphasised that Pakistan Navy remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard national maritime interests while contributing to the global commons through cooperation and coordinated maritime security efforts,” it quoted him as saying.
“The Naval Chief underscored that PNS Yarmook’s operation under the Saudi-led task force will further enhance the interoperability between the two navies and strengthen defence collaboration between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,” it added.
U.S. Central Command congratulates the Saudi-led Combined Task Force 150 of Combined Maritime Forces for successfully seizing more than $972 million worth of narcotics. Over a 48-hour period, Pakistan Navy Ship Yarmook conducted boarding operations of two dhows in the Arabian…
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 21, 2025
“The success of this focused operation highlights the importance of the multi-national collaboration,” the Royal Saudi Naval Forces Commodore Fahad Aljoiad, commander of CTF 150, said in the statement. “PNS Yarmook has had one of the most successful narcotics seizures for CMF, which is directly attributed to the expertise and collaboration of our naval forces within the organization.
The U.S. Central Command in a post on X appreciated the CMF, which includes 47 countries, navies and patrols more than 3 million square miles of sea, including some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, to disrupt the smuggling of drugs and weapons. The commissioning ceremony of Pakistan Navy ship Yarmouk was held in Romania in February 2020, and it was inducted into the Pakistan Navy fleet in December 2020.
Yarmouk is an electronic warfare anti-ship and anti-air platform with cutting-edge self-protection and terminal defense systems. The ship is capable of performing a variety of maritime operations and unmanned aerial vehicle operations simultaneously.
With Additional Inputs from GVS South Asia Desk