Chennai: In its relentless pursuit against the smuggling of narcotics, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Mandapam, in collaboration with the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) Chennai, intercepted a country boat sailing towards Sri Lanka in the Gulf of Mannar on Tuesday seizing 99 kg of hashish with an estimated value of Rs 108 crores.
Acting on specific intelligence gathered by the DRI Chennai Zonal Unit, indicating a planned smuggling operation along the coastal route near Mandapam sea coast, officers from both agencies conducted surveillance over the Gulf of Mannar aboard an Indian Coast Guard Ship on the night of March 4th and 5th, 2024. They identified a country boat heading towards Sri Lanka and intercepted it after a brief pursuit at sea.
Upon interception, officers searched the boat and discovered five concealed sacks onboard. The boat, along with the contraband and its three occupants, was escorted to the Indian Coast Guard Station Mandapam for further investigation. During interrogation, the individuals admitted to receiving the sacks filled with narcotics from an individual in the Pamban Coastal area.
They confessed to transporting the contraband to be handed over to unidentified persons from Sri Lanka, who were expected to meet them at sea.
Examination of the seized sacks revealed a total of 111 packets weighing 99 kilograms in total, containing a brown, sticky substance. Field testing confirmed it to be Hashish, a controlled substance under the NDPS Act, with an international market value of approximately Rs 108 crores. All four individuals were apprehended for further inquiry.
Indian Navy, NCB seize 3,300 kg of drugs from Iranian vessel off Gujarat coast
Notably, in a joint operation at sea, the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) intercepted a suspicious Iranian vessel carrying 3,300 kilogram of drugs off the coast of Gujarat last Tuesday, February 28.
The operation was based on intelligence gathered by Indian Navy’s maritime surveillance aircraft and corroborated by inputs from the NCB. Read more…
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