New Delhi: Indian agencies have seized 3,300 kg of narcotics exceeding ₹2,000 crores in the highest ever offshore capture and arrested five foreigners from an Iranian boat off the Gujarat coast, the NCB said on Wednesday.

The operation was undertaken in the Arabian Sea along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) jointly by the Navy, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The contraband is suspected to be containing Charas, methamphetamine, and morphine.

The NCB and other agencies have busted yet another international drug trafficking network and effected the highest-ever offshore seizure (by quantity) in the country, a senior officer of the federal anti-narcotics agency said.

The five people arrested from the boat are suspected to be either Iranian or Pakistani nationals. No documents of nationality have been recovered from them, a senior NCB officer said.

The seizure and arrests mark a major success in the fight against international drug trafficking networks. The NCB has hailed this operation as a significant milestone in their efforts to curb the illegal drug trade.

This seizure, with an estimated international market value exceeding Rs 2,000 crore, is the largest of its kind in the Indian subcontinent. The cache of narcotics includes 3,089 kg of cannabis, 158 kg of methamphetamine, and 25 kg of morphine.

The drugs were discovered onboard a vessel manned by the five crew members, suspected to be Pakistani nationals. The vessel and narcotics were seized following the arrests, and investigations are ongoing to determine the origin and destination of the seized drugs.

Authorities launched the operation based on intelligence gathered from a surveillance aircraft. An Indian Navy ship, deployed at sea for two days, intercepted the suspicious boat upon its entry into Indian territorial waters.

The investigation aims to gather more information about the arrested crew members and unravel the network behind the smuggling operation. Authorities are determined to root out drug trafficking activities in the region and prevent the flow of narcotics into the country.

The successful operation underscores the commitment of Indian agencies to combat drug trafficking and highlights the importance of international cooperation in addressing this global challenge.

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