In an overnight operation on 12-13 April 25, Indian Coast Guard undertook an intelligence based anti-narcotics operation at sea jointly with the Gujarat ATS. More than 300kg of narcotics worth approx Rs 1,800 crore has been seized.
The operation was a perfect example of inter-agency coordination wherein based on a corroborated 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 notional International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) prior it could be undertaken, thus leading to the successful operation.
Based on the credible intel of ATS, the ICG ship identified a suspect boat despite pitch dark night. On realising the approaching ICG ship, the suspect boat dumped its narcotics consignment in 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 proximity of IMBL and the initial separation between the ICG ship and the boat at the time of its detection helped the perpetrator to evade interception before it crossed over the IMBL within a short time.
The cross over resulted in termination of the hot chase and precluded the ICG ship to apprehend the suspect boat. Meanwhile, the ICG team in sea-boat, after thorough search in the tough night conditions, recovered the sizeable amount narcotics that was dumped into sea.
The seized narcotics has been brought to Porbandar by the ICG ship for further investigations. The jointness of ICG and ATS, which has led to 13 such successful law enforcement operations in recent years reaffirms the synergy for national objective.
