April 29, Colombo (LNW): The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted a Pakistani boat off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat, seizing 86 kilograms of suspected heroin valued at INR 602 crore destined for Sri Lanka via Tamil Nadu, a report by The Indian Express revealed.
Fourteen crew members were arrested in the operation conducted jointly with the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Sunday (28).
The seizure follows intelligence received by ATS Superintendent of Police KK Patel, indicating the transit of narcotics by Haji Aslam alias Babu Balock, a Pakistani drug operative, according to report.
The vessel named ‘Alraza’ was reportedly dispatched from Karachi to deliver heroin and methamphetamine near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off Porbandar.
Upon identification of the suspicious vessel 180 nautical miles off Porbandar, the ICG and Gujarat ATS attempted to board it for inspection.
However, the crew resisted, prompting the use of force to stop their escape.
One crew member sustained a bullet injury during the operation.
All 14 accused, residents of Lasbela in Pakistan’s Balochistan, including the boat’s master Nazir Hussain Azam Khan, who were on the ship en route to Sri Lanka, are being brought to Porbandar for further investigation.
Khan, aged 62, received medical attention for his injury and is currently stable.
This operation follows another successful interception earlier in the week, where the NCB and ATS seized mephedrone and chemical drugs worth INR 300 crore from laboratories in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
