Nearly 200 Royal Navy sailors serving in the elite nuclear submarine force have been caught using drugs over the past seven years, according to Ministry of Defence figures. Some 175 submariners tested positive for a variety of banned or illegal substances including cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and steroids between 2018 and 2024.
Other banned narcotics found during random, unannounced tests included benzodiazepine, a drug for treating anxiety and insomnia. In 52 of the 175 cases, the submariners were serving on a submarine at the time they were caught. Almost all have been fired, but sources told the Telegraph a small number of personnel might have been spared punishment if they were unaware the substance was banned or if they had mitigating circumstances.
It is believed some who failed drugs tests were working on Britain’s fleet of four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry the Trident 2 nuclear missiles. The submarine service is facing increased pressure, with sailors serving on the Vanguard vessels facing longer stints at sea. Last year, one boat returned to HMNB Clyde after a record-breaking 204 days underwater.
Philip Ingram, a former colonel in British military intelligence, said: “There is no place for drugs in our Armed Forces, and especially in sensitive areas such as the submarine service where there is an increased security risk of drug-takers being blackmailed for classified and sensitive insights.” He added that “zero tolerance is the only right way forward.”
A Navy spokesperson said: “We operate a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drug misuse. Any individual found to have breached this policy can expect to face serious consequences, including immediate discharge from the service.” The MoD said no drugs had been found in any search of a submarine in the past seven years.
