A joint operation of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Indian Navy, and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS)has seized 3,300 kg of drugs from a boat manned by suspected Pakistani crew members off the coast of Gujarat. The operation is reported to be the biggest narcotics seizure in the Indian subcontinent.
According to the agencies, the international market value of the drugs seized is estimated to be more than Rs 2,000 crore.
“Produce of Pakistan” was found to be written on the cache of the seized narcotics including 3,089 kg of cannabis, 158 kg of methamphetamine, and 25 kg of morphine.
An Indian Navy mission-deployed ship stopped the suspicious boat as it entered Indian territorial waters when it was at sea for two days, inputs from a surveillance aircraft showed.
During the investigation, authorities discovered a large amount of drugs on the boat, following which the five crew members were arrested. The vessel and narcotics were seized.
The authorities have taken boats, drugs, and crew members to Porbandar, Gujarat and an investigation is underway to collect more information on the suspected crew members.
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NCB Director General S.N. Pradhan told the media persons that the operation codenamed ‘Sagar Manthan-I’ was one of the five such recent exercises undertaken in association with sister agencies like the Navy, Coast Guard, intelligence and other drug enforcement agencies, and police of various States, made possible through the Centre’s initiative to set up the National Narcotics Coordination Portal in 2019.
Sharing the details, NCB Deputy Director-General (Ops) Gyaneshwar Singh said the agency initially got a tip-off that a foreign unregistered fishing vessel would enter the Indian waters with over 3,000 kg of drugs. It was to deliver the contraband to a fishing boat suspected to be coming in from Tamil Nadu, around 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on Tuesday, at a particular point.
Shah’s views on the NCB operation
Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister congratulated the law enforcement agencies for the historic success. “The historic success is a testament to our govt’s unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. On this occasion, I congratulate the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police,” he said in a post on X.
Pursuing PM @narendramodi Ji's vision of a drug-free Bharat our agencies today achieved the grand success of making the biggest offshore seizure of drugs in the nation. In a joint operation carried out by the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, a gigantic consignment of 3132…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 28, 2024
The Indian Navy had previously recovered drugs worth crores of rupees in several operations at sea.
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