The Indian Coast Guard has intercepted an Iranian-flagged dhow in the Arabian Sea, west of the Lakshadweep islands, and recovered about 526 kg of narcotics valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore in international markets. The haul is a mix of high-grade heroin and methamphetamine, according to the agencies involved. The interception took place around September 25 but was made public only on September 30. Acting on a tip-off, Coast Guard ships and aircraft first tracked the suspicious vessel through sea and air surveillance.
Once the dhow was located, the force pursued it and boarded it after a hot pursuit on the open sea. Five Pakistani nationals were found operating the boat and were taken into custody. The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad worked alongside the Coast Guard, sharing intelligence and taking part in the operation. The dhow, its crew and the contraband were then escorted to Mumbai under armed guard, where a multi-agency team will interrogate the five men and pursue legal proceedings.
The Coast Guard described the operation as a demonstration of its surveillance and maritime interdiction capabilities. It said the seizure would disrupt the finances of international drug syndicates and keep synthetic drugs from reaching the mainland. Officials also framed the bust as the breaking up of a transnational narco-terror network. The Arabian Sea has repeatedly been used as a smuggling corridor, and this is among the larger recent seizures along the western maritime route.