5 Pakistanis held, 526 kg drugs worth Rs 3,000 crore seized in Arabian Sea haul
The Coast Guard, in coordination with the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Gujarat, intercepted an Iranian boat carrying 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine worth over Rs 3,000 crore in the Arabian Sea, west of Lakshadweep. Five Pakistani nationals were also arrested in connection.
The operation was carried out on September 25 based on a tip-off. Coast Guard personnel maintained sea-air surveillance of the suspicious vessel before launching a pursuit and boarding it.
The intercepted boat, its crew and the seized contraband have been escorted under armed guard to Mumbai for joint interrogation and further multi-agency legal proceedings.
The operation was carried out as part of efforts to prevent narcotics from reaching the mainland and to disrupt transnational drug-smuggling networks operating along the maritime route. - Ends
Shivani Sharma is a broadcast journalist who specialises in Defence reporting. She happens to be the first Indian journalist to reach the worldβs highest motorable top at Umling La and also to cover the southern most strategic tip of the country at Nicobar.
