The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Gujarat Anti -Terrorism Squad (ATS) have recovered 300 kg of drugs from the International Marine Border Line (IMBL) near the Gujarat coast in a joint operation, which is said to be around Rs 1800 crore in the international market.
This joint operation was carried out on the night of 12-13 April. According to officials, as soon as the smugglers saw the ship of the Indian Coast Guard, they tried to throw the banned substance into the sea and fled to the border. However, the consignment was safely recovered from the sea and handed over to the Gujarat ATS for further investigation.
The statement issued by the Indian Coast Guard said, “This operation is a sign of strong coordination among agencies against drug trafficking.”
Deputy Inspector General of Gujarat ATS (DIG) Sunil Joshi informed that two ATS officials were also riding in the campaign along with the Coast Guard. According to the investigation, a person named Pakistani drug supplier Fida was trying to hand over a drug to a Tamil Nadu boat in the IMBL area near Porbandar.
After receiving the information, Gujarat ATS formed a team led by Inspector JM Patel, in which Inspector VM Bharwad and Sub-Inspector Bhupendra Waghelal were deployed along with Coast Guard.
DIG Joshi said that the ICG ship caught a Pakistani fishing boat activities on its radar. The suspected boat threw the drug into the sea after seeing the Indian ship, so that it could seem innocent. But the consignment was recovered due to vigilance.
A day earlier, on 11 April, the Indian Coast Guard also stopped an Indian fishing boat called ‘Maa Basanti’, 72 knots from the ocean light, within the Special Economic Zone (EEZ).
