Rs 3,000 Crore Drugs Seized In Arabian Sea, 5 Pakistani Nationals Detained

The Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), seized 526 kg of methamphetamine and heroin worth more than Rs 3,000 crore from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea and detained five Pakistani nationals, PTI reported on Wednesday, citing officials.

The operation was carried out on September 25 west of Lakshadweep following intelligence inputs. Sea and air surveillance was used to track the suspicious dhow before a hot pursuit was launched and the vessel boarded, PTI reported.

The vessel, its crew and the seized drugs were brought to Mumbai under armed escort for joint interrogation and further legal proceedings. The contraband comprised high-grade methamphetamine and heroin.

The operation was conducted in coordination with the Gujarat ATS, which also confirmed the detention of five Pakistani nationals, PTI reported. The state ATS is scheduled to brief the media on the operation later on Wednesday.

PTI reported that the operation demonstrated the maritime surveillance and interdiction capabilities involved in preventing illicit activities in India's maritime zones.

The operation also falls in line with the Central Government’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, which aims at creating a drug-free India through mass awareness, capacity building, and rehabilitation, News18 reported.

The Coast Guard said the seizure would help disrupt the financial network of international drug syndicates and prevent synthetic drugs from reaching the mainland.

The Coast Guard said: “By crippling the financial engine of hostile foreign syndicates and intercepting toxic synthetic substances before they reach mainland shores, this mission serves as a critical force multiplier to the Union Government’s national vision of a Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.”