NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the government was committed to protecting the country’s youth from the threat of narcotics after Indian agencies seized 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea.
The seizure was made in a coordinated operation involving the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Indian Coast Guard and central intelligence agencies. Five Pakistani nationals aboard the vessel were arrested, officials said.
In one of his ‘X’ posts, Shah said the drugs were recovered from an Iranian boat operating within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 160 nautical miles northwest of Lakshadweep and 490 nautical miles southwest of Mumbai.
“Modi government is determined to shield its youth from the scourge of drugs,” Shah said, while highlighting and lauding the coordinated of the agencies involved in the operation.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, the operation was launched on September 25 following actionable intelligence about a suspicious vessel. Coast Guard units mounted coordinated aerial and maritime surveillance before tracking the boat and initiating a hot pursuit.
Personnel subsequently boarded the Iranian dhow and recovered the narcotics, officials said. The vessel, its crew and the seized contraband were later escorted to Mumbai under armed security for joint interrogation and further legal proceedings.
The drugs seized are estimated to be worth more than Rs 3,000 crore in the international market, according to officials.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Gujarat ATS as part of efforts to detect and disrupt suspected transnational maritime narcotics-smuggling networks. Shah said the 16-day-long operation demonstrated effective coordination and cooperation among the agencies.
Investigators are now working to establish the wider network behind the suspected smuggling operation and identify the intended recipients of the consignment.
The seizure comes amid sustained efforts by Indian maritime and law-enforcement agencies to prevent narcotics from entering the country through sea routes. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the origin of the consignment, the role of those arrested and the broader network allegedly linked to the operation.