The Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS seized 526 kg of suspected heroin and methamphetamine from an Iranian dhow and detained five Pakistani crew members.
The Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad have intercepted an Iranian dhow carrying approximately 526 kilograms of narcotics in the Arabian Sea, officials said.
Five Pakistani nationals operating the vessel were detained during the joint operation. The seized contraband—identified in initial reports as heroin and methamphetamine—is estimated to be worth more than ₹3,000 crore in the international market.
Dhow Intercepted West of Lakshadweep
The operation was conducted in the Arabian Sea west of Lakshadweep following intelligence received by the Gujarat ATS.
According to the Coast Guard’s account, its ships and aircraft conducted coordinated sea-and-air surveillance and continuously tracked the suspected vessel before beginning a pursuit.
Coast Guard personnel reportedly intercepted and boarded the Iranian-flagged dhow on September 25. A search of the vessel led to the recovery of the suspected narcotics.
The operation’s precise coordinates and distance from the Lakshadweep coastline were not immediately disclosed in the initial reports.
Five Pakistani Crew Members Detained
All five crew members found aboard the dhow were identified as Pakistani nationals, officials said.
The boat, detained crew and seized contraband were escorted to Mumbai under armed guard. Multiple agencies are expected to question the crew and investigate the source, intended destination, financiers and recipients connected to the shipment.
The crew members remain accused persons, and their legal responsibility will be determined through investigation and court proceedings.
Agencies Probe International Smuggling Network
Investigators are likely to examine whether the shipment was connected to a wider transnational narcotics network operating through the Arabian Sea.
The waters between the Makran coast and India have previously been identified as a maritime route used to transport heroin, methamphetamine and other illegal substances towards India and neighbouring countries.
Security agencies also investigate large maritime drug shipments for possible links to organised crime and terror-financing networks. However, authorities had not publicly identified any specific organisation as being behind this consignment at the time of the initial announcement.
The estimated ₹3,000-crore figure represents the reported international-market value of the seized drugs. Such estimates can vary according to the substance’s purity, destination and prevailing illegal-market prices.
The Coast Guard said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of its maritime-surveillance network and its coordination with the Gujarat ATS in preventing narcotics from reaching the Indian mainland.
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