 "700 kg drugs seized mid-sea: Gujarat ATS, NCB, Navy conduct joint op")
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have seized more than 700 kilograms of drugs in the sea of Porbandar, news agency ANI reported on Friday. The joint operation, which began late Thursday night, also involved the Indian Navy. The drugs were being smuggled on an Iranian boat. Eight foreign nationals, who identied themselves as Iranians, have taken into custody.
87,000 kgs of drugs seized from Gujarat in 4 years
The coast of Gujarat continues to struggle with its image as a hotspot for drug smuggling into India, driven by its proximity to Pakistan, a transit hub for narcotics from Afghanistan. According to Gujarat Minister Harsh Sanghavi, more than 87,000 kgs of drugs worth Rs 9,600 crore have been seized in the state in the last four years.
In June, Sanghavi had said that as many as 2,600 persons were arrested in these cases. In the first half of 2024, drug-related operations have led to the arrest of 353 persons and registration of 251 cases in Gujarat.
Notably, the reported figures between 2021-2024 do not include contraband seized by central agencies such as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, etc.
UN report on Afghanistan drug crisis
According to a report by the United Nations Security Council, the drug crisis has worsened since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. The report highlighted that Afghanistan's drug trade is booming under Taliban rule, with a significant stockpile of narcotics fueling the ongoing crisis.
This is the second major drug-related incident that has come in the news this week. On Thursday, officials arrested three people, including an Indian national near the Indo-Nepal border, who were found carrying 22.5 kg of hashish.
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The other two arrested persons were Nepali nationals.
In October, Delhi saw its largest drug bust to date, with the police seizing more than 700 kg of cocaine across several operations.