AHMEDABAD: In a joint operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police apprehended a Pakistani boat Al Sakar with six crew members in Indian waters carrying about 50 kg of heroine worth Rs 350 crore. The action was taken on the basis of intelligence inputs given by ATS Gujarat.
“On Friday night, on a specific intelligence input, ICG deployed two interceptor class of ships, C-429 and C-454 for patrolling in area close to notional International Maritime Border Line (IMBL). At midnight, a Pakistani boat was observed moving suspiciously in Indian waters, 5 nm inside notional IMBL and 40 nm from Jakhau,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
“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 50kg of narcotics, believed to be heroin, was found concealed in five gunny bags,” the statement added.
The market value of the seized narcotics is estimated to be about Rs 350 crore. “The ICG ships braved very rough seas in pitch dark night and marginal weather conditions during the entire operation,” according to the statement.An official said the Pakistani boat Al Sakar is being brought to Jakhau for a further joint investigation by all the agencies.Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghvi, congratulated the team for taking quick action to seize the drugs.
“The Gujarat ATS team once again exposed the nefarious intentions of Pakistan’s drug mafia. As part of a joint operation by Gujarat ATS and Coast Guard, 50 kg of heroin worth 350 crore being brought from Pakistan to Gujarat was seized before it entered the Indian border. Congratulations to the entire team,” Sanghavi said.
According to Coast Guard officials, this is the sixth such joint operation undertaken by the Indian Coast Guard and ATS Gujarat in last one year, and the second such operation in less than a month when 40 kg of drugs were seized from a Pakistani boat on September 14. Such operations have been a result of effective coordination and synergy among security agencies, officials say.