800Kg Of Narcotics Seized In High Seas For First Time; Pakistan Link Suspected

Mumbai: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Indian Navy seized around 800 kg of drugs worth Rs 2,000 crore from a vessel in the Arabian Sea beyond India’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Hindustan Times reported.

“It is the first such operation in the history of NCB or other investigation agencies when the seizure has been made in the high seas. A lot of planning and coordination has gone into the operation and it is a huge catch,” NCB director general SN Pradhan said.

The drugs are suspected to be from Pakistan and meant to be transported to India, as per intel inputs. According to a Navy officer, the boats had some inscription in Urdu.

There was specific intelligence input with NCB about two large boats, carrying huge quantities of drugs, sailing towards Gujarat or Mumbai.

NCB, led by deputy director general (DDG) Sanjay Kumar Singh, launched an operation with Indian Navy to track the boats in high seas. After hours of searching in the ocean, the boats were noticed 200 nautical miles from the coast.

The smugglers, realizing that they were being chased, abandoned a boat and fled in the other one.

About 525 kg of high-quality hashish and 234 kg of crystal Methamphetamine were found. According to officials, the drugs were worth around Rs 2,000 crore in the international market.