On 20 April 2003, members from both Tactical Assault Group West and Tactical Assault Group East combined to board the "Pong Su", a 4,000 ton North Korean ocean freighter in Australian territorial waters. The ship was flying the flag of Tuvalu at the time, known as flying a flag of convenience. The boarding of the freighter was carried whilst the ship was underway in rough seas. The reason for apprehending the ship was that it was suspected of being involved in smuggling almost 125 kg (300 pounds) of heroin into Australia.