According to the statement by Gujarat ATS on March 7, on the night of March 6, they observed a boat moving suspiciously in Indian waters about 340 km (190 miles) off the Okha coast and informed the ICG

The drugs seized earlier this week by the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in a joint operation with Indian Coast Guard (ICG) off the Okha coast in Gujarat were sourced from a port in Pakistan, said an official aware of the investigation.

An Iranian boat with five crew members allegedly carrying 61 kilograms of drugs worth ₹425 crore off the Gujarat coast was apprehended on March 6.

“The boat came from Chabahar port in Iran and the drugs were loaded at Pasni port of Pakistan as per investigations so far. There have been instances in the past too where drugs seized off Gujarat coast were sourced from Pakistan,” said a senior police officer on the condition of anonymity.

He said that the drugs were to be transported to northern states of India like Punjab, but their plan got foiled due to the intervention of Gujarat police and ICG.

The ICG took the action based on intelligence input by Gujarat ATS.

The boat along with the crew has been apprehended and is being brought to Okha for further investigation, said an official.

According to the statement by Gujarat ATS on March 7, on the night of March 6, they observed a boat moving suspiciously in Indian waters about 340 km (190 miles) off the Okha coast and informed the ICG. Upon being challenged by ICG patrolling ships, the boat started evasive manoeuvring which is when the ICG chased and stopped the boat for checking.

Upon checking, the boat was found to be Iranian with five crew of Iranian nationality. During the investigation by the ICG boarding team, the crew were found to be behaving suspiciously, following which they were arrested and the boat was seized for checking and the drugs were found.

In the year 2022, the Gujarat ATS has in coordination with ICG apprehended about 388 kgs of narcotics worth about ₹1,940 crore, as per the press statement.