Australian naval officers make big international drug bust

AUSTRALIA'S Navy working in the Gulf of Oman has busted international drug smugglers with a huge haul of 1500kg of cannabis.

Led by the Royal Australian Navy-led Combined Taskforce 150, officers boarded two vessels on the high seas in the gulf.

The officers boarded the vessels after a Naval helicopter observed the crews throwing their cargo overboard as HMS Northumberland approached, as part of counter-terrorism operations on March 15.

Naval officers intercepted and searched the vessels, seizing 120kg of cargo from the boat and the sea.

HMS Northumberland officers estimated the combined cannabis found on board, and that jettisoned into the sea, was about 1500kg.

The cannabis had a potential street value of up to US$7.5 million, authorities said.