US Navy rescues drug smugglers from burning ship off Oman

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. Navy said Thursday it rescued 5 Iranians suspected of smuggling drugs aft they seemingly acceptable occurrence to their stash connected committee a accepted sailing vas disconnected the seashore of Oman, though 1 remains missing.

The Navy released aerial surveillance footage showing the accepted ship, known arsenic a dhow, arsenic it sailed successful the Gulf of Oman connected Wednesday. Smoke pours from the vas aft those connected committee seemingly acceptable the fire, with an detonation rocking the ship.

Sailors from the patrol trade USS Sirocco aboriginal arrived, rescuing the men. Sailors besides recovered implicit 1,745 kilograms (3,850 pounds) of hashish, 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of methamphetamine and 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of heroin. The Navy valued the recovered drugs arsenic worthy $14.7 million.

Sailors judge that represented lone fractional of each the drugs connected committee the dhow, with the remainder burning up oregon sinking with the vessel, said Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet.

The 5 Iranians rescued from the dhow received aesculapian attraction and person been handed implicit to authorities successful Oman, the Navy said. Iran did not instantly admit the incidental Thursday.

The Navy and allied forces successful the portion behaviour anti-narcotic patrols passim Mideast waterways. Smugglers often usage dhows to transport heroin from Afghanistan and different drugs softly done the region.