Photo: A view for the HMS Lancaster to the RVIPF marine vessel St. Ursula Photo: provided

Officers from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force and HM Customs were engaged in a live exercise today with the crew from the HMS Lancaster. 

The RVIPF marine vessel St. Ursula operated with officers from the Royal Navy in developing local law enforcement skills to interdict suspect vessels and to practice command and control of operations at sea with other agencies.  

Head of Policing Operations, Superintendent St Clair Amory stressed that no live rounds were fired in the exercise. “As part of the exercise the local community may have heard the noise of a gun being fired from HMS Lancaster, however no live rounds were used but it certainly added to the reality of the event,” he said.

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with trained service personnel who are about to embark on drug interdiction exercises in the Caribbean. Officers from the RVIPF and HM Customs who patrol these shores on a daily basis have offered their own experiences of working in these waters and have received the opportunity to observe at close quarters how the Royal Navy conduct interdiction exercises and engage with those who seek to traffic illicit drugs," the Superintendent added.

HMS Lancaster has now left the Territory headed out towards Anguilla.