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A boat carrying 232 kgs of narcotics, whose market value is pegged at Rs 600 crore, was seized and eight Pakistani crew onboard were arrested in a joint intelligence-based operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard from international waters off Gujarat coast.
The capture of the boat yesterday came nearly four months after a Pakistani boat was blown up, apparently by its crew, when the Coast Guard had intercepted it in the Arabian Sea.
"In a closely coordinated operation undertaken by the Navy and Coast Guard, a boat carrying a large quantity of narcotics was apprehended in international waters, off the coast of Gujarat yesterday. The operation also resulted in apprehension of eight Pakistani nationals manning the boat," ICG DIG S E Gupta said.
He said multiple agencies, including the intelligence, the Navy, Narcotics Control Bureau and the Coast Guard will interrogate the crew to unravel the facilitators running the smuggling trade.
"The joint interrogation (of the eight crew) will be held involving (officials of) police, Narcotics Control Bureau, Navy, Coast Guard and other stake-holders. On completion of the joint interrogation, the boat will be handed over to Narcotics Control Bureau," Gupta said.
The crew were today paraded before media onboard ICG vessel 'Sangram', which intercepted and apprehended the boat, where packets of the seized contraband, satellite phones and GPS system were also displayed. The boat is docked nearby in sea.
When asked whether any link between the crew and the Pakistan Navy has come to the fore, Gupta said details will come to light during the joint interrogation.
"The mission was launched and based on the intel input which indicated the appropriate position of the boat.
Accordingly, the coordinating operation launched by the Coast Guard and the Navy was aimed at interception of the vessel which has been completed and the crew has been brought here.
Remaining details are part of the further joint interrogation," he said.
The operation was launched on April 18 after receiving intelligence inputs, and was conducted in close coordination with the Western command of Navy along with the north-west regional headquarters of the Coast Guard, he said.
"The boat was intercepted and apprehended by Coast Guard ship 'Sangram' yesterday, whilst Naval ship 'Kondul' provided support to the entire operation. Initial investigations have led to the recovery of 232 packets of narcotics (suspected to be heroin and worth up to Rs 600 crore in the international markets)," the officer said.
Gupta said they also confiscated satellite communication phones and GPS that were used to facilitate transshipment of the contraband to another boat.
Explaining the operation, Gupta said the Navy had deployed its ships 'Nirghat' and 'Kondul' while the Coast Guard 'Sangram', and it was assisted by extensive aerial searches undertaken by the aircraft, including Dorniers, IL38 and P8Is, pressed into service by the two agencies.
