Australian Navy seizes $415 million worth of narcotics in Arabian Sea

A vessel searched by the Australian Navy was found to have hashish and heroin worth about $415 million on board. Photo / AAP

Heroin and hashish worth $415 million has been seized by the Australian Navy in the Arabian Sea.

The Royal Australian Navy HMAS Warramunga seized almost eight tonnes of hashish and 69 kilograms of heroin from three ships between December 27 and 29, the Department of Defence says.

"The operation will impact on the flow of narcotics around the world and the use of drug money to fund extremist organisations," the Commander of Australian Forces in the Middle East, Major General John Frewen, said in a statement on Saturday.

The operation was months in the making, co-ordinated by the Combined Maritime Forces and supported by Australian and Canadian staff.

It's the largest haul of hashish seized by an Australian ship in Middle East maritime security operations.

The drugs are estimated to be worth around $415 million overall and are set to be disposed at sea.

Australian Navy personnel have seized about $415 million worth of drugs in the Arabian Sea. Photo / AAP

Leading seaman clearance diver Luke Woodcroft from HMAS Warramunga numbers parcels of seized narcotics on the deck of a trafficking vessel. Photo / AAP