NEW DELHI: In a major drugs haul, the Navy has seized a fishing boat with five Sri Lankan nationals and 300 kg of narcotics worth around Rs 3,000 crore, which apparently originated from the Makran coast in Pakistan, in the Arabian Sea.
The Sri Lankan fishing boat was escorted to Kochi on Monday morning by patrol vessel INS Suvarna for further investigations, where the five crew members are being jointly interrogated by the Navy and Narcotics Control Board, among others. “This is a major catch not only in terms of the quantity and cost, but also from the perspective of disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes that emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards the Indian, Maldivian and Sri Lankan destinations,” said a naval spokesperson.
“Apart from the human costs from drug addiction, the spoils of narcotics trade feed syndicates involved in terrorism, radicalisation and criminal activities,” the spokesman added. INS Suvrana was on a patrol in the Arabian Sea a couple of days ago when it spotted the fishing vessel indulging in suspicious movements. “To investigate the vessel, a team from the warship conducted a boarding and search operation, which led to the detection of 300 kg of narcotics substances, including heroin,” said an officer.
“The fishing vessel was then escorted to the nearest Indian port of Kochi. The approximate cost of the seizure in the international market is estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore,” he added.