On Monday, a team of Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS seized 77 kg of heroin from a Pakistani boat off the coast of Jakhau in Kutch and arrested 6 Pakistanis. The joint operation was conducted based on a tip-off, and a Pakistani boat named “Al Hussaini” was intercepted. A search operation of the boat found 77 kg of heroin worth Rs 400 crore. Not only that, six Pakistanis were also arrested during the operation. All the people have been taken into custody and are being questioned.
Information about this operation was given to the media by Jakhau Coast Guard Commanding Officer Sandeep Safaya. The Pakistani boat was intercepted 06 NM inside Indian waters. It was apprehended by the Coast Guard when it tried to flee after being spotted. The seized Pakistani boat is reported to be from Karachi. Safaya added that the first input to Gujarat ATS was that these drugs were being smuggled into Indian maritime seas. The six accused arrested are being further interrogated and more details will be revealed to the media soon.
The Coast Guard has 24X7 patrols and such operations are made successful by working jointly with the ATS when input is provided by any intelligence agency. The Coast Guard’s watch is always on the border, not just on Pakistani boats.
The Pakistani nationals are being interrogated regarding to whom and where these drugs were being sent, and who all were linked to this drug cartel. Drugs have been found in the area several times in the past. More than 30 kg of drugs were found off the coast of Gujarat in January 2021, 30 kg in April 2021, more than 3,000 kg in September 2021 and more than 186 kg in November 2021.
Saurashtra’s coastline has come to be known as the “gateway of Gujarat” for smugglers to smuggle arms and drugs into India.