11 Iranians held for drug trafficking

Eleven Iranian nationals have been arrested for their ”suspected complicity” in drug trafficking, after the Coast Guard nabbed them along with their boat earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said on Monday.

NCB has ”taken over” the Iranian boat and the 11 people for further investigation, a release from the agency’s Zonal Director, Amit Ghawate, here, said.

Iranian boat Al-Anesi with 11 crew members was intercepted by the Coast Guard at Indira Point in Andaman and Nicobar on April 9 following intelligence inputs.

”Coast Guard found suspicious activity of crew members in narcotics trafficking,” it said, adding, the said boat was brought to Kasimedu fishing harbour here.

”The boat and the 11 Iranian crew members were taken over by NCB, Chennai Zone for further investigation. On the basis of their complicity in suspected drug trafficking, all 11 Iranian crew members have been placed under arrest on 10.04.2022,” the release added.

It further noted that during the year 2020-21, various foreign boats were found to be involved in suspected transnational narcotics trafficking and that the NCB had successfully investigated many cases.