New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat Anti Terrorism Squad have seized about 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine from an Iranian dhow in the Arabian Sea. The seized drugs were valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore in the international market, according to officials.
Five Pakistani nationals who were allegedly operating the vessel were apprehended during the operation, which took place on September 25 in the Arabian Sea, west of Lakshadweep. The vessel, its crew and the seized drugs were later escorted to Mumbai for joint interrogation and further legal proceedings.
The operation was carried out after authorities received actionable intelligence about the movement of the vessel. Indian Coast Guard assets conducted coordinated surveillance from the sea and air to track the dhow and monitor its movements.
The Coast Guard then launched a hot pursuit before intercepting and boarding the vessel. The operation led to the recovery of the narcotics and the apprehension of the five Pakistani nationals on board.
The seized consignment contained heroin and methamphetamine. Officials valued the drugs at more than Rs 3,000 crore in the international market. The figure represents an estimated market value of the seized narcotics and is not a precise measure of their value.
After the interception, the dhow and its crew were escorted to Mumbai under armed security. The seized narcotics were also brought to the city as authorities began further investigation into the shipment.
The five Pakistani nationals are being questioned as part of the investigation. Their identities and the specific roles they may have played in the movement of the narcotics have not been publicly disclosed in the available official information.
Authorities have not yet publicly established where the drugs were loaded, where they were manufactured or where the consignment was ultimately intended to go. The fact that the vessel was Iranian and that those on board were Pakistani nationals does not by itself establish the origin of the drugs or involvement by any government.
The investigation is also examining the ownership of the vessel, the origin and intended destination of the narcotics and the wider network connected to the shipment. Further details may emerge as the questioning and legal proceedings continue.
The Indian Coast Guard said the operation was part of continuing efforts to curb transnational narcotics trafficking through maritime routes. The Arabian Sea has been the focus of several drug interception operations involving Indian security agencies in recent years.
The latest seizure involved a substantial quantity of narcotics and had an estimated international market value of more than Rs 3,000 crore. However, several important details remain under investigation, including the people who organised the shipment and its intended recipients.
For now, authorities have confirmed that an Iranian dhow was intercepted west of Lakshadweep on September 25, that about 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine were seized and that five Pakistani nationals on board were apprehended. The vessel and those detained have been taken to Mumbai as the investigation continues.