The Daily Mail reports
A group of five suspected Iranian drug smugglers set fire to their stash of more than 2,200 kilos of narcotics while on board a boat as they approached American sailors who rescued them at sea off the coast of Oman.
The US Navy on Thursday released aerial surveillance footage showing the traditional ship, known as a dhow, as it sailed in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday.
Those on board appear to pour a liquid, likely an accelerant, over the cargo hold as the Navy approaches.
In this handout photograph from the U.S. Navy, a traditional dhow sailing vessel suspected of smuggling drugs burns in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday
The U.S. Navy said Thursday it rescued five Iranians suspected of smuggling drugs after they apparently set fire to their stash on board a traditional sailing vessel off the coast of Oman, though one remains missing
The Navy says that more than 2,200 kilos of narcotics including hashish, meth and heroin were found on board. The military believes a roughly equal amount of drugs was either burned or allowed to sink to the bottom of the Gulf
US military drone footage shows the vessel just moments before it exploded after catching on fire
The vessel is engulfed in flames, leaving five Iranians stranded at sea. One of the Iranians on board is still missing
