Rs 1,800 Cr worth Methamphetamine dumped in sea recovered by ICG, Gujarat ATS

Methamphetamine worth Rs 1,800 crore was seized by the Indian Coast Guard during an overnight joint operation conducted by them with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). In the breakthrough, over 300 kg of narcotics were seized after being dumped in the sea from a boat within proximity of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated that following an input from Gujarat ATS, an ICG ship from the Coast Guard Region (West), which was on multi-mission deployment off North Maharashtra/ South Gujarat area, diverted and intercepted an attempted transshipment in proximity of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). “On realising the approaching ICG ship, the suspect boat dumped its narcotics consignment in the sea before it started fleeing towards the IMBL. The alert ICG ship deployed its sea boat immediately for recovery of the jettisoned consignment whilst commencing a hot chase of the suspect boat,” the release said.

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The proximity of IMBL and the initial separation between the ICG ship and the boat at the time of its detection helped the perpetrator evade interception before it crossed over the IMBL within a short time. The cross-over resulted in the termination of the hot chase and precluded the ICG ship from apprehending the suspect boat. Meanwhile the ICG team in a sea-boat, after thorough search in the tough night conditions, recovered the sizable amount of narcotics that was dumped into the sea, it was added.

The seized narcotics were brought to Porbandar by the ICG ship for further investigations. The jointness of ICG and Gujarat ATS, which has led to 13 such successful law enforcement operations in recent years, reaffirms the synergy for national objectives.