India: Narcotics haul busted as 1,159 pounds of drugs worth $312.58 million seized from Iranian dhow in Arabian Sea.

Indian maritime authorities have intercepted a suspected drug-smuggling operation in the Arabian Sea, seizing around 1159.632 pounds (526 kilograms) of heroin and methamphetamine valued at more than ₹3,000 crore ($312.58 million USD)in the international market. Five Pakistani nationals aboard the vessel were also detained. The incident took place in the Arabian Sea, west of Lakshadweep in India, on September 25, Visuals released from the operation show the intercepted dhow at sea, along with security personnel securing the vessel and inspecting the seized contraband during the maritime operation. Speaking to Newslions Media Network, Suresh P K, Pradhan Adhikari, Indian Coast Guard, Kochi, Kerala, said that the Indian Coast Guard, working with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, intercepted an Iranian dhow following intelligence inputs. Coast Guard units conducted coordinated sea-air surveillance to track the suspicious vessel before launching a pursuit and boarding it. The haul included high-grade heroin and methamphetamine. The vessel, its crew and the seized drugs were subsequently escorted to Mumbai for joint interrogation and further legal proceedings involving multiple agencies. The seizure has disrupted a major suspected maritime drug-smuggling attempt before the consignment could reach the mainland. The Coast Guard said the operation demonstrated its surveillance and maritime interdiction capabilities while targeting transnational drug-trafficking networks operating through sea routes. We have sourced it from Suresh P K, Pradhan Adhikari, Indian Coast Guard, Kochi, Kerala. It’s a non-exclusive story. Restriction:Not Distributable in Germany.