Indian Coast Guard seizes Pakistani fishing boat with 100 kg heroin
21 May 2019
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The Indian Coast Guard today seized a Pakistani fishing vessel with 100 kg of heroin that was being illegally brought to India. Coast Guard vessel Arinjay on petrol off the Indo-Pak international maritime border intercepted the suspect vessel Al Madina off the Jakhau coast at about 0915hrs today, about eight nautical miles inside Indian waters.
The Coast Guard vessel Arinjay swung into action on receiving information of a suspicious vessel likely to be engaged in drug trafficking in area off Indo-Pak international maritime border line (IMBL) off the Gujarat Coast. Similar inputs were also received from Directorate of Revenue Intelligence on 20 May 2019.
ICG Ship Arinjay on patrol off the Indo-Pak IMBL was alerted about the suspect vessel. Two additional Interceptor boats, C-437 and C-408, were also tasked from Jakhau and Okha to augment the search for the suspect vessel. ICG Dornier aircraft was also launched from Porbandar on 20 and 21 May 2019 for aerial recce in the area.
Coast Guard Ships and aircraft maintained extensive search in the area for intercepting the suspect vessel. ICG ships classified various contacts in the area and kept them under constant surveillance. During search one fishing boat was observed to be suspicious and Coast Guard ships in area shadowed the suspect vessel during the dark hours of 20 May 2019 night.
The suspect vessel with first light on 21 May 19 crossed the IMBL towards Indian side and started moving towards the Jakhau coast. The suspect vessel Al Madina was kept under surveillance and intercepted at about 0915 hrs on 21 May 2019 about eight nautical miles inside Indian waters by ICG ship Arinjay.
During boarding the vessel was found to be a Pakistani fishing boat Al Madina registered at Karachi with six Pakistani crew. Initial search of the fishing boat by Indian Coast Guard boarding party revealed 194 packets of suspected narcotics substance. The vessel is being escorted to Jakhau harbour for detailed investigation and rummaging.
Recently, during a similar operation on 24 March 2019, ICG ship Rajratan in joint operation with ATS, Gujarat seized about 100 kg of heroin from a suspected Pakistani Dhow off the coast of Gujarat apprehending nine Iranian crew of the vessel.
Indian Coast Guard Director General Rajendra Singh said that the Coast Guard has been at the forefront in anti-narcotics and anti-smuggling operations and since inception has seized contraband worth of more than Rs5,000 crore.
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