Over 300 Kg of Drugs Worth ₹1,800 Crore Seized in Joint Operation by Gujarat ATS, Indian Coast Guard
Ahmedabad, April 15: In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized over 300 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine, valued at approximately ₹1,800 crore, from the Arabian Sea. The contraband was dumped into the water by Pakistani smugglers who fled across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) upon being intercepted, officials said on Monday.
According to an official release by the ICG, the operation was carried out on the intervening night of April 12 and 13, based on specific intelligence provided by the ATS. The drugs, believed to have originated from Pakistan’s Pasni port, were intended to be transferred mid-sea to another boat and eventually trafficked into Tamil Nadu.
The ICG ship, operating in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast near Jakhau — the closest point on the Indian mainland to the IMBL — identified a suspicious Pakistani fishing vessel under the cover of darkness. Realising they had been spotted, the smugglers threw 311 sealed packets of the narcotics into the sea and fled toward Pakistani waters.
“The ICG vessel immediately deployed a sea boat to recover the floating contraband while initiating a hot pursuit of the suspect vessel,” said the release. “Despite tough night conditions and the proximity to the IMBL, our personnel successfully recovered the narcotics dumped in the sea.”
The recovered consignment was brought to Porbandar for further investigation and handed over to the ATS.
Addressing a press conference, ATS Deputy Inspector General of Police Sunil Joshi confirmed that the contraband weighed 311 kilograms and was packed in specially sealed floating drums to aid mid-sea retrieval.
“Our inputs suggested that a Pakistan-based drug syndicate led by one Fida had planned to smuggle the consignment into Indian waters and transfer it to an Indian boat from Tamil Nadu,” said Joshi. “Though the smugglers managed to escape, our coordinated operation ensured the recovery of the entire consignment.”
Officials said further investigation is underway to identify the recipients and unravel the broader network involved in the transnational smuggling operation.
