ICG apprehends Indian fishing boat with 173 kg of narcotics; two crew members detained

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized 173 kg of narcotics from an Indian fishing boat and detained two crew members on board the vessel off the Gujarat coast, an official said on Monday.

The ICG and Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) apprehended the fishing boat in a joint operation in the high seas on Sunday afternoon, the coast guard said in a release in Ahmedabad.

The seizure comes a day after the ICG, ATS and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in a joint operation, recovered heroin worth Rs 600 crore from a Pakistani boat with 14 crew members.

According to official sources, a total of 173 kgs of Hashish (extracted from cannabis) along with two Indians have been caught as part of a joint operation.

“Based on specific and credible intelligence inputs from the ATS, the ICG strategically deployed its ships and aircraft, ensuring that the boat does not evade the sea-air coordinated surveillance,” the release said.

The boat was intercepted after its proper identification, and investigations confirmed that the two accused persons were involved in smuggling around 173 kg of drugs, it said.

“This operation is the ICG’s 12th apprehension in the last three years and a testimony of coordination and success of joint efforts of ICG and ATS Gujarat for appropriate response to drug trafficking through seas,” it said.