Major catch of illegal smuggling! Indian Navy seizes narcotics worth Rs 3,000 cr

New Delhi, April 20: The Indian Navy seized narcotics substances worth around Rs 3,000 crore from a fishing vessel while patrolling on the Arabian Sea. The boat and its crew were escorted to Kochi for further investigation. Sources said the fishing boat is not from India.

 

 

The Navy, in a statement, informed that INS Suvarna, "while on a surveillance patrol on the Arabian Sea, encountered a fishing vessel with suspicious movements".

 

 

As Navy personnel "conducted boarding and search operations" to investigate the matter, they seized more than 300 kgs of narcotics", the statement added. "The approximate cost of the catch in the international market is estimated to be Rs 3,000 crore,” the Navy said.

 

 

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