Joint search in Kutch creek area for dumped heroin packets

A joint search was launched Sunday by the Border Security Force, Indian Coast Guard and the Marine Police in the creek area of Kutch in Gujarat for heroin packets dumped into the sea by Pakistani smugglers.

Eleven packets of the contraband, worth crores of rupees in illicit markets, have been found in the area in the last few days, said an official.

Smugglers threw heroin packets into the sea when their boat was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard on May 21.

"The DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) has informed that 330 packets of heroin were on board the Pakistani boat, of which 136 were thrown into the sea," said Inspector General of Border Range D B Vaghela.

"Eleven of these packets were found washed ashore in the last few days," Vaghela said.

"A joint search operation of ICG, BSF and Kutch police was launched today to find remaining packets at one go," he said.

Nakhatrana Deputy Superintendent of Police V N Yadav, who is leading the operation, said they were focusing on the creek area as most of the drug packets have been found there.

"Due to bad weather we could not find any packets today," he said, adding that the search would continue.

On May 21, six Pakistani nationals were arrested by the DRI off Jakhau port for trying to smuggle heroin into Gujarat after the Coast Guard intercepted their boat.