Prince William may get Caribbean posting

LONDON, June 1 (UPI) -- Britain's Prince William may soon join the Royal Navy's anti-drug trafficking efforts in the Caribbean, navy officials say.

The member of the British royal family, who has been banned from serving in the Persian Gulf war zone, could serve on board a British naval vessel attempting to stem the flow of cocaine through the tropical region, The Sunday Times of London reported.

One unidentified naval officer said drug trafficking has reached new highs in the Caribbean, where disaster relief is another vital role of naval officials.

"We seized 20 tons of cocaine in recent operations," the officer said. "These guys are not cruising around from island to island. These guys are out there doing the business."

Commander Mark Newland said the 25-year-old royal would eventually focus on such relief operations, but in the meantime his training would focus on living on board a naval vessel.

"What we intend is to show him as much as we can about life on board an operational warship," Newland told the Times.