New Delhi, September 30: Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), the Indian Coast Guard and central intelligence agencies have arrested five Pakistani nationals and seized around 526 kg of methamphetamine and heroin from an Iranian boat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday.
According to Shah, the joint operation was conducted in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, around 160 nautical miles northwest of Lakshadweep and 490 nautical miles southwest of Mumbai.
The operation lasted 16 days, during which security agencies tracked and intercepted the suspected Iranian vessel.
The Indian Coast Guard said the contraband, valued at more than ₹3,000 crore, was seized on September 25.
Acting on intelligence inputs, Coast Guard assets conducted sea and air surveillance and tracked the suspicious dhow before launching a pursuit and boarding it west of Lakshadweep.
The seized drugs included high-grade methamphetamine and heroin. The vessel, its crew and the seized contraband were subsequently brought to Mumbai under armed escort for joint interrogation and further legal proceedings.
Gujarat ATS also confirmed the arrest of the five Pakistani nationals. Investigators are now working to identify the wider trafficking network and intended recipients of the consignment.
Shah said the operation demonstrated coordination among multiple security agencies and reiterated the government’s efforts to prevent drug trafficking and protect young people from the impact of narcotics.
