Navy seizes narcotics worth Rs 3,000 crore from fishing vessel

PTI, Apr 19, 2021, 5:44 PM IST

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Kochi:  The Indian Navy has seized narcotics worth Rs 3,000 crore from a fishing vessel, suspected to be of foreign origin, in the Arabian sea, a Defence spokesman said here on Monday. He said that the Indian Naval Ship ”Suvarna” whilst on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered the fishing vessel moving around in a suspicious manner. “To investigate the vessel, the ship’s team conducted a boarding and search operation, which led to the seizure of more than 300 kg of narcotics substances”, he said.

The boat with its crew has been escorted to the nearest port, Kochi, for further investigation, the spokesman said, adding the approximate value of the seizure in the international market is estimated to be Rs 3,000 Crore. He, however, did not disclose the exact location from where the seizure was affected, or the day.

“This is a major catch, not only in terms of the quantity and cost, but also from the perspective of disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes, which emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards the Indian, Maldivian, and Sri Lankan destinations,” he said. Apart from the human costs from drug addiction, the spoils of the narcotics trade feed syndicates involved in terrorism, radicalization and criminal activities, the spokesman added.