US Navy Central Command announced in a statement that “a US Coast Guard rapid response boat seized $85 million worth of heroin on a fishing boat while it was patrolling the Gulf of Oman. September 27,” explaining that the shipment “represents the largest drug shipment in the Middle East to have been seized by the navy this year.”

For his part, Commander of US Naval Central Command and Fifth Fleet Brad Cooper emphasized that “this operation demonstrates the great commitment of our international partners to disrupt and contain destabilizing activity in the region.”

It should be noted that the Joint Maritime Forces consist of 34 member states, whose forces operate in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the northern part of the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and their tasks include the implementation of a maritime security operation in extensive areas of operations, including the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.