HMCS Regina’s first bust

Crewmembers from HMCS Regina catalogue and destroy 132 kg of seized heroin on the ship’s quarterdeck.

HMCS Regina successfully disrupted a narcotics shipment during a patrol in its designated area of operations in the Indian Ocean on March 31, as part of Operation Artemis.

Regina intercepted and boarded a dhow off the east coast of Africa and discovered over 100 packages of heroin weighing 132 kilograms in total.

“This successful drug seizure is a result of the patience and perseverance displayed by the ship’s company of HMCS Regina throughout our participation in Op Artemis. It is also a credit to our collective capability to work together with our CTF 150 partners to respond in a timely and effective manner to threats to maritime security and commerce in the region,” said Cdr Dan Charlebois, Commanding Officer of Regina
The illicit narcotics were subsequently seized, documented and later destroyed at sea, thereby ensuring they would not reach their intended recipients.

This was the first drug seizure for Regina as part of its maritime security and counter-terrorism operations at sea in the Indian Ocean.

Operation Artemis is Canada’s contribution to Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), a multinational maritime task force combating terrorism across the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman.

“I congratulate the crew of HMCS Regina, who have certainly earned this success,” said Commodore Daryl Bates, Commander of CTF 150. “They have worked tirelessly since taking over from HMCS Toronto in February. In conjunction with the recent efforts of warships from the French, United States and Royal Australian Navies, the Royal Canadian Navy has continued to prove that the national contributions to Combined Maritime Forces can have a real impact on terrorist organizations, by disrupting their lines of funding.”

-DND