WILLIAM THE DRUG BUSTER

Prince's Helicopter Opens Fire on Cocaine Smugglers' Speedboat

Prince William was involved in a second dramatic drugs raid in the
Caribbean, when a helicopter he was in opened fire on a boat of
suspected cocaine smugglers.

He was on board a Lynx helicopter as it chased a speedboat suspected
of shipping cocaine from South America.

When the boat tried to flee, Royal Marines on the helicopter shot at
it, forcing the crew of three to jump into the sea.

The men were pulled aboard HMS Iron Duke, the frigate on which the
Prince is spending time as part of a two-month secondment aimed at
preparing him for his future role as head of the Armed Forces.

No drugs were found on board the speedboat, but traces were located on
two of the three crew, who were handed over to the authorities in
Colombia after the vessel was set on fire and sunk.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'Prince William was aboard the
Lynx, which was about to go out on a training flight.

'It was redirected to intercept the suspect vessel. Prince William
remained on board until the helicopter returned to Iron Duke.

'He witnessed the firing but wasn't involved in it. He then returned
to ship to resume his normal duties as officer of the watch.'

Iron Duke began tracking the vessel eight days ago during a security
patrol 110 miles off the coast near the Venezuela-Colombia border.

Mark Newland, the frigate's commanding officer, said: 'My company are
elated at again disrupting the activities of the suspected drug runners.'

William, 26, an officer in the Household Cavalry regiment, is spending
five weeks on the ship as part of his Navy placement.

He also took part in the mission that seized UKP40million of cocaine off
Barbados earlier this month.