3,300 Kg of Charas, Meth Seized in 'Largest Drug Bust' By Navy, NCB Off Gujarat Coast

In a joint operation conducted by the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), a suspicious dhow off the Gujarat coast, carrying five crew members and 3,300 kg of drugs, was apprehended on Tuesday.

According to the Navy, this drug seizure, which includes 3,089 kilograms of charas, 158 kg of Methamphetamine, and 25 kg of morphine, is by far the “largest in terms of quantity in recent times”.

All five accused, who are foreigners, have been arrested following the operation at a port in Porbandar. The NCB is scheduled to hold a press conference at 3 pm today to provide more details.

The apprehended boat, crew, and contraband were handed over to law enforcement agencies on February 27

The Navy stated that the operation was initiated in response to information gathered by the P8I LRMR aircraft during a surveillance mission. Following this, the ship was diverted to successfully intercept and apprehend the suspicious dhow.

“The coordinated response of the #IndianNavy with Law Enforcement Agencies is reflective of our resolute stance against narcotics trafficking in #India’s maritime neighbourhood,” Navy said in a social media post on X.

According to a report by PTI, the boat, claimed to be Iranian, was found to have contraband worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

Acting on a specific tip-off, the operation was carried out in the Arabian Sea near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) jointly by the Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorist Squad, Indian Navy, and the NCB, said an ATS official.

On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, saying that this accomplishment is a ‘testament to the government’s commitment’ to making India a drug-free nation.

“Pursuing PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of a drug-free Bharat our agencies today achieved the grand success of making the biggest offshore seizure of drugs in the nation. In a joint operation carried out by the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, a gigantic consignment of 3132 kg of drugs was seized. The historic success is a testament to our govt’s unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. On this occasion, I congratulate the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police,” Shah said in a post on X.