Bahrain authorities have seized illegal drugs worth an estimated $7.2 million in the Arabian Sea within the space of four days.

The drugs, weighing 17.8kg, were confiscated by naval ships operating under the banner of the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) - a multinational naval partnership patrolling 2.5 million square miles of international waters, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

One of them, a 9.8kg shipment of amphetamines, has been described as the largest haul of the drug in the history of the CMF.

A suspected drug-smuggling vessel was observed transferring a number of packages to another dhow, prompting the Australian Navy to board one of the vessels and conduct a standard security sweep.

Tests carried out on a suspicious substance returned a positive reading for amphetamine, according to a statement.

The second dhow was caught around 170 nautical miles southeast of Muscat four days later with 8kg of the drug.

"These are the two largest seizures of methamphetamines we have seen in the region since the formation of the CMF," said Royal Australian Navy Commander Commodore Daryl Bates.

"This removal of 8kg of methamphetamines, combined with the other 9.8kg seizure, will severely impact the funding network of the terrorist organisations that rely on these shipments for income." – TradeArabia News Service