Pakistan boat smuggling Rs 600 crore drugs apprehended near Gujarat coast, 14 arrested
PTC News Desk: The Indian Coast Guard captured a suspicious Pakistani boat carrying nearly 86 kg of drugs worth Rs 600 crore on Sunday. Based on intelligence, the Coast Guard, the Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS), and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) launched an investigation into the drug trafficking syndicate operating in the region.
The authorities also arrested 14 crew members from the Pakistani vessel were also detained.
"In a breathtaking overnight operation, the Indian Coast Guard undertook an intelligence-based anti-narcotics operation at sea. Approx 86 kg of narcotics worth ₹ 600 crore has been apprehended along with 14 crew from the Pakistani boat," the Coast Guard said.
To ensure operational efficiency, the agency deployed ships and aircraft on concurrent missions. One of the key vessels involved in the operation was the Coast Guard ship Rajratan, which was manned by NCB and ATS officials.
Despite the suspected drug-laden boat's efforts to evade capture, the attentive ship successfully discovered and intercepted it. A specialised team from the ship did a comprehensive search and confirmed the presence of drugs onboard.
"No amount of evasive manoeuvring tactics employed by the drug-laden boat could save it from the swift and strong ICG ship Rajratan. Ship's specialist team embarked on the suspect boat and after thorough checks, confirmed the presence of the sizeable amount of narcotics."
- With inputs from agencies
