ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) ZULFIQUAR, while participating in Focused Operation HIMALAYAN SPIRIT, successfully interdicted a vessel carrying 1.3 tons of Hashish in the North Arabian Sea. The operation, aimed at disrupting illicit maritime activities, was conducted under the command of the Pakistan Navy, which is currently leading Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, a Pakistan Navy news release said. PNS ZULFIQUAR and PMSS KOLACHI, along with US Navy and US Coast Guard ships, patrolled their assigned areas and conducted boarding operations on suspicious fishing boats. Surface assets involved in the focused operations were supported by aerial surveillance from Pakistan Navy aircraft and the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group (CSG) operating in the area. Information regarding suspicious boats was regularly exchanged among the participating units, leading to the interdiction of a vessel by PNS ZULFIQUAR, which was found carrying 1.3 tons of Hashish, valued at approximately 26 million US Dollars. The Pakistan Navy-led CTF 150’s Focused Operation HIMALAYAN SPIRIT was specifically aimed at deterring illicit activities, particularly narcotics smuggling, in the North Arabian Sea.
The success of Focused Operation HIMALAYAN SPIRIT is a testament to the Pakistan Navy’s commitment to international efforts in ensuring peace and security at the world’s critical maritime choke points.
