In mid-sea operation off Gujarat coast, nine Iranian drug smugglers held, 100 kgs of contraband sent by a Pakistani seized from their boat

Porbandar: Nine Iranian nationals were held in a mid-sea operation off Porbandar coast of Gujarat by Anti Terrorist Squad(ATS) Gujarat with assistance of Marine Task Force and Indian Coast Guard. They revealed one Pakistani national namely Hamid Malek had sent the consignment which was loaded in Iranian boa off Gwadar port of Pakistan. ATS officers have also identified the receiver of consignment. The smugglers were carrying 100 kgs of contraband in boat. The first of its kind of operation lasted for two nights and three days. The smugglers tried to destroy the consignment after they were trapped by agencies.

Detail note:

Nine Iranian nationals were held in a mid-sea operation off Porbandar coast of Gujarat by Anti Terrorist Squad(ATS) Gujarat with assistance of Marine Task Force and Indian Coast Guard. They revealed one Pakistani national namely Hamid Malek had sent the consignment which was loaded in Iranian boa off Gwadar port of Pakistan. ATS officers have also identified the receiver of consignment. The smugglers were carrying 100 kgs of contraband in boat. The first of its kind of operation lasted for two nights and three days. The smugglers tried to destroy the consignment after they were trapped by agencies.

Anti Terrorist Squad Gujarat had got credible information that an illegal consignment of narcotic drugs, heroin, is going to be smuggled in Gujarat through coast. BP Rojiya, ACP ATS passed this information to senior officers of ATS. The information further revealed that the consignment is being sent in Dhow of Iran, which will be loaded in Pakistan. ATS officers contracted Indian Coast Guard and Marine Task Force and it was decided to launch a joint operation to apprehend the smugglers and seize the contraband. Officers of ATS boarded Indian Coast Guard Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) and a joint search was started. Commandos of Marine Task Force were kept in boats in territorial waters to help in apprehending the smugglers.

The information was limited and only communication frequency was known to identify the smuggler’s boat. On the basis of this limited information continuous search operation was undertaken by joint team of three agencies namely Indian Coast Guard, ATS and Marine Task Force. After more than 24 hours of search, a suspicious boat was identified while making attempt to communicate in the particular frequency. ICG ship stealthily started following the boat. ICG ship directed the suspected boat to stop. Instead, the suspected boat made desperate attempts to run away, but was unsuccessful. Indian Coast Guard ship chased the boat and when apprehension became inevitable, it’s crew set the boat ablaze to destroy the evidences. Officers and personnel of ICG ship along with ATS officers made high risk to rescue nine smugglers from the smuggler’s boat, and successfully apprehended them. Approximately 100 kg of contraband heroin is also seized from the smuggler’s boat. Indian Coast Guard ship thereafter attempted to extinguish the fire, but due to presence of 24,000 litres of fuel and few gas cylinders, the fire became uncontrollable and eventually led to it’s sinking in area. The receiver of the consignment is also identified by ATS and will be apprehended soon. The boat/dhow which was supposed to receive the consignment from the smuggler’s boat is also identified. Necessary legal action will be initiated against them. The interrogation of nine Iranian nationals from the smuggler’s boat revealed one Pakistani national named Hamid Malek had sent the consignment, which was loaded in the Iranian boat off Gwadar port of Pakistan. The total value of the contraband as per international value is estimated to be Rs. 500 crores.

 

DeshGujarat