Pakistani boat apprehended in Gujarat; heroin worth Rs 350 crore seized

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Saturday informed that they have seized heroin worth Rs 350 crore from a Pakistani boat off the state coast.

The ICG and ATS, in a joint operation, also apprehended six crew members from the boat named Al Sakar in Indian waters close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) in the Arabian Sea.

The boat is being further investigated at the port Jakhau in Gujarat.

"In a joint Ops with ATS #Gujarat, @IndiaCoastGuard apprehended #Pakistani Boat Al Sakar with 06 crew in Indian waters of #ArabianSea carrying about 50 Kgs heroin worth approx. 350 Cr. The boat is being brought to #Jakhau for further investigation. @DefenceMinIndia @narcoticsbureau," the Indian Coast Guard informed in a tweet.

This is the sixth such operation over the last one year and the second within a month carried out by ICG and ATS, highlighting India's robust coastal security network.

The ICG, last month, had apprehended a Pakistani boat Al Tayyasa with six crew members in Indian waters carrying approximately 40 kgs of heroin worth Rs 200 crore.

Defence Ministry officials informed that the ICG strategically deployed two fast interceptor class of ships, C-408 and C-454 for patrolling in areas close to the notional IMBL during the intervening night of September 13 and 14 on the basis of special intelligence input.

The boat was apprehended six miles inside Indian waters.

"Two fast attack boats of ICG caught a Pakistani boat 33 nautical miles off the Jakhau Coast in Gujarat," the official had said.