Andaman drug seizure: Police trying to get call record of satellite phone

Port Blair: The Andaman and Nicobar Command and police which apprehended six Myanmarese crew of a fishing trawler carrying 5,500 kg of banned Methamphetamine drug near Barren island are trying to get the call records of the seized satellite phone, an official said on Tuesday.

The laboratory tests of the seized substance in Port Blair confirmed that the substance was Methamphetamine.

“We are trying to get details of the recipients of the drugs through the seized satellite phone because the crew members are refusing to reveal anything during interrogation. It seems that they are scared to reveal the identity of the receiver and the person behind sending the consignments. We are trying to get in touch with the service provider to get call record,” he said.

The official said, “The value of drug haul is expected to be thousands of crores in the international market.” On November 23, the pilot of a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft while on routine patrolling noticed a suspicious movement of a fishing trawler near Barren Island which is nearly 150 km from Port Blair, the Defence official said.

“The trawler was warned and asked to lower its speed and in the meantime, the pilot alerted the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Immediately, our nearby fast patrolling vessels rushed towards Barren Island and towed the fishing trawler to Port Blair on November 24 for further investigation,” the official said.

Methamphetamine is mainly used as a recreational or performance-enhancing drug.