U.S. Seizes Boat With Links to al-Qaida


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Dec 19, 11:14 AM (ET)

By MATT KELLEY

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Navy has seized a boat in the Persian Gulf carrying two tons of hashish and four people tied to the al-Qaida terrorist network, the military said Friday.

The guided missile destroyer USS Decatur intercepted the boat on Monday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. On board were two tons of drugs worth an estimated $8 million to $10 million and 12 people, four of whom have suspected ties to al-Qaida, the statement said.

The boat, a wooden vessel known as a dhow, was near the Straits of Hormuz, the narrow part of the gulf between Iran and Oman, the statement said. The area is a known smuggling route used by Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, the statement said.

American forces searching the boat found 54 70-pound bags of hashish, the statement said. The investigation which followed found clear ties between the drugs and al-Qaida, the military said.

The Decatur is part of a U.S. Navy force including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.