NCB and Indian Navy seizes 800 kg of drugs from Arabian Sea

In a joint operation by NCB and Indian Navy, the officials seized 800 kg of drugs valued at more than Rs. 2,000 crores from the high seas on the western flank of the country on Saturday.

Porbandar:In a joint operation by NCB and Indian Navy, the officials seized 800 kg of drugs valued at more than Rs. 2,000 crores from the high seas on the western flank of the country on Saturday. As informed by the federal anti-narcotics agency said in a statement, the confiscated material included 529 kg of "very high quality hashish (charas)", 234 kg of the "finest quality of crystal methamphetamine" and some quantity of heroin.

The NCB launched this major joint operation with Naval Intelligence Unit after receiving inputs on drug trafficking. "This is the first such operation in which the apprehension has been made in high seas. The input regarding trafficking of drugs in high seas was developed by NCB and shared with Naval intelligence unit, leading to a joint operation," it said. The catch is stated to have been made along the country's western coast and the consignment, packed in multiple bags, has been brought to the Porbandar coast in Gujarat.

The officials also informed that the Special Unit of NCB Headquarters was constantly on the lookout for information on these drugs. It is also pertinent to notice that this was the first time that the smuggling of drugs from a neighboring country to India by sea has been successfully stopped. The officials did not immediately say the exact location from where the vessels carrying the narcotics were intercepted by the NCB and the Navy personnel, citing "security reasons".

"The present seizure has dealt a telling blow to drug syndicates based out of our neighbouring country and using maritime route for proliferation of drugs in India and other countries," it added.