Three sailors kicked out of Royal Navy 'after testing positive for cocaine'

LARGS, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 27:  In this handout image provided by MoD Crown Copyright, HMS Vengeance departs for Devonport prior to re-fit on Ferbruary 27, 2012 off the coast of Largs, Scotland. The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded UK's leading naval support business Babcock, on March 25, 2012, with a contract to commence the planning phase for the £350 million GBP refit of Trident ballistic missile submarine HMS Vengeance, which will be undertaken at their Devonport Royal Dockyard. The project to upgrade and refuel the nuclear submarine will safeguard 2,000 UK jobs and will take around three and a half years. River Tamar shipping was suspended when the the 150m-long, 15,900-tonne submarine HMS Vengeance travelled to the Devonport Dockyard ahead of the scheduled refit on March 2, 2012, arriving amid concerns without a signed contract for the refit.  HMS Vengeance will be the last of four Vanguard class submarines to undergo a Lond Overhaul Period and Refuel LOP(R) at Davernport that will commence once HMS Vigilant leaves Devonport on completion of her LOP(R) in 2012. Mandatory Credit: (Photo by Andrew Linnett/MoD Crown Copyright via Getty Images)
Nuclear: The Trident ballistic missile submarine HMS Vengeance, pictured (Getty Images)

Three nuclear submarine sailors have been kicked out of the Royal Navy after being accused of taking cocaine.

Cleaners on board the HMS Vengeance called military police after finding packets of the class-A drug lying around cabins on the Vengeance sub in June.

The submariners, who are believed to be lower ranking, then failed a compulsory drugs test (CDT) for the substance shortly after visiting a US military port in Florida in June.

Vengeance, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited during his time in Scotland last month, is armed with the Trident ballistic missile, the UK's nuclear deterrent.

All three were given their marching orders by naval chiefs following an inquiry.

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 07: Crew members from HMS Westminster stand on parade at Horse Guards Parade as they exercise their "Freedom of the City" on August 07, 2019 in London, England. The historic privilege allows certain military units to parade through London, led by a band, with bayonets fixed to their rifles. This showed a high degree of trust at the time and is the highest honour a city can bestow upon a unit. Royal Navy frigate HMS Westminster is visiting the city before returning to Portsmouth after taking part in the NATO training exercise, "Exercise Baltic Protector".  (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
Marching orders: Three sailors were sacked after they failed a cocaine drug test (Getty Images)

Military sources said crew on the Vengeance sub are regarded as 'top flight' and that the Royal Navy has a 'zero-tolerance policy' on drugs.

The men were forced to give urine samples following shore leave in Florida.

Following an enquiry, all three were kicked out by military chiefs, the Daily Record reported.

The sub continued its top-secret operations after leaving Florida before returning to Faslane naval base on the Clyde in Scotland.

The men were taken from the vessel and were disciplined.

It’s believed the three were part of a larger group of crew members suspected of having taken cocaine during the 'run ashore'.

The other sailors in the group are understood to have passed CDTs.

The source told the Daily Record: 'Drug busts on the V fleet are rare because the submariners are considered to be the best of the best considering the job they do.

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'The men would have been celebrating being off the boat for a short time but there’s celebrating and there’s taking Class A drugs while working on a vessel that carries nuclear missiles.

'Bosses would have had no choice but to sack them. They knew the risks if they were caught but their carelessness in leaving the packets lying around has raised some eyebrows.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson aboard Vanguard-class submarine HMS Victorious during a visit to Faslane Naval base (HM Naval Base Clyde), north of Glasgow in Scotland on July 29, 2019. - New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes his first official visit to Scotland on Monday in an attempt to bolster the union in the face of warnings over a no-deal Brexit. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / POOL / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Jeff J Mitchell has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [HMS Victorious] instead of [HMS Vengeance]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.        (Photo credit should read JEFF J MITCHELL/AFP/Getty Images)
Visit: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson aboard Vanguard-class submarine last month

'The Royal Navy has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug-taking so anything like that, you’re out.'

In April, seven sailors were kicked off another Royal Navy submarine after testing positive for cocaine.

The sailors failed a compulsory drugs test the morning after they attended a drug-fuelled party, as the 5,300-ton submarine the HMS Talent was preparing for a sensitive mission to track Russian submarine movements in the North Sea and the Arctic Circle.

Midsection Of Man Holding Cocaine
Busted: Members of the cleaning team found bags of the class-A drug scattered around cabins

At the time, a Navy source told the Mail on Sunday: 'This is a major embarrassment for top brass. It takes years to train submariners to perform highly skilled and highly sensitive roles at sea and the Navy has just lost seven guys due to one night of stupidity.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said yesterday: “The individuals who tested positive for cocaine have now all been discharged.

'The Royal Navy will not tolerate misuse of drugs by service personnel in any form or at any time. Any personnel caught taking drugs will be discharged.

'The Naval Service maintains a comprehensive programme of compulsory random drug testing to ensure maximum deterrence.'

The Vanguard-class Vengeance is one of four vessels that carry Trident and is armed with up to eight nuclear warheads.

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