While conducting maritime security operations in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, the US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon interdicted a shipment of illicit narcotics aboard a stateless vessel on January 24.
Chung-Hoon's visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) team confiscated 4,700 kilograms of hashish while conducting a flag verification boarding.
The apprehended vessel was determined to be stateless following a flag verification boarding conducted in accordance with customary international law. The vessel and its crew were allowed to depart once the narcotics were seized.
This is the second such interdiction made by Chung-Hoon in a month following a December 27, 2018 vessel boarding in the Gulf of Aden wherein over 5,000 kilograms of hashish were seized.
