Coast Guard, Gujarat ATS seize 50 kg heroin worth Rs 350 crore from Pakistani boat

Ahmedabad, October 8, 2022

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), in a joint operation, apprehended a Pakistani boat with six crew in Indian waters carrying about 50 kg of heroin worth Rs 350 crore.

Official sources said that, on the basis of specific intelligence inputs, the ICG had strategically deployed two fast interceptor class of ships, C-429 and C-454, for patrolling in the area close to the notional International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) last night.

Around midnight, a Pakistani boat was observed moving suspiciously in Indian waters, five nautical miles (nm) inside the IMBL and 40 nm from Jakhau, a port in Kutch in Gujarat.

"On being challenged, the Pakistani boat started evasive manoeuvring. However, both the ships intercepted the Pakistani boat and forced it to stop. On boarding the boat, thorough rummaging was undertaken during which 50 kgs of narcotics, believed to be heroin, was found concealed in five gunny bags. The market value of the seized narcotics is estimated to be Rs 350 crore," an official press release said.

"The ICG ships braved very rough seas in pitch dark night and marginal weather conditions during the entire operation," it said.

The boat is being brought to Jakhau for further joint investigation by all agencies.

This is the sixth such joint operation by the Coast Guarad and the Gujarat ATS in the last one year and the second in less than a month. On September 14, 40 kg of drugs was seized from a Pakistani boat.

"Such operations have been a result of effective coordination and synergy amongst security agencies," the release added.

NNN