AHMEDABAD: A high-stakes midnight chase by the Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS off the Porbandar coast intercepted an Iranian speed boat near the IMBL, seizing over 200 kg of suspected narcotics chemicals.
It led to the arrest of two Iranian nationals before the consignment could reach Punjab.
The Coast Guard, in close coordination with Gujarat ATS, launched a swift overnight operation on February 16.
Acting on corroborated ATS input, a multi-mission Coast Guard vessel was diverted from routine patrol to high-alert interception mode, triggering a tense maritime pursuit where every nautical mile tightened the net.
Advancing through darkness with a blend of human intelligence and technical surveillance, the ship picked up a suspicious foreign fishing boat on radar whose evasive movement patterns raised immediate red flags.
As the suspect crew sensed enforcement presence, the boat accelerated in a desperate bid towards the IMBL, a classic attempt to slip beyond jurisdiction.
The Coast Guard responded with a high-speed pursuit, eventually cornering and halting the fleeing vessel in open waters.
Inside the Iranian-made speed boat, officers found two men, Abdul Majeed and Abdul Sattar, Balochi-speaking Iranian nationals from Chabahar, allegedly ferrying around 203 kg of suspicious chemical material packed in 203 sealed packets.
Investigators said the consignment was loaded at Iran’s Konark port by an alleged smuggler identified as Haji Fida and was to be transferred mid-sea to an Indian contact for onward routing to Punjab, revealing a transnational supply chain stretching from Iran’s coast to India’s hinterland.
The joint operation had been set in motion the previous night after a crucial tip-off reached ATS, prompting immediate mobilisation and maritime coordination.
Officials recalled that the alert warned of a quantity of suspicious chemicals weighing about 200 kgs, loaded into a boat from Konark port of Iran between February 15 and 16, would enter Indian waters near the IMBL and be delivered to an Indian boat for further transport to Punjab.
Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi highlighted the rarity of such a delivery attempt via speed boat, a high-risk method chosen to outrun patrol grids, leading to the deployment of a specialised unit to Porbandar and the laying of a precise maritime interception trap along the anticipated entry route.
The intercepted craft, stocked with extra diesel, food, and survival supplies for three to four days, indicated a carefully planned cross-border infiltration rather than a routine smuggling attempt.
Intelligence agencies noted that similar speedboat movements from Iranian waters had surfaced earlier, suggesting a pattern where larger mother vessels remain offshore while smaller crafts attempt the final dash into Indian waters.
During the search, officers seized mobile phones from the accused, and is presently under forensic examination to decode contact chains, delivery instructions, and possible Punjab-based handlers.
Authorities said the exact nature of the seized chemicals is still being analysed by forensic experts to determine whether they are precursor substances or high-grade narcotics intended for large-scale drug production.
The interception, carried out around 8:00 AM on February 16 in deep-sea conditions, dismantled what officials believe was a key link in an international drug trafficking corridor between Iran and India.
The seized speed boat, the 203 packets, and the arrested nationals have been brought to the Coast Guard station in Porbandar for legal proceedings and scientific analysis.
Investigators are now probing the role of the alleged Punjab-based receiver, as the operation not only thwarted a major narcotics inflow but also exposed increasingly audacious maritime routes being exploited by cross-border smuggling syndicates.