Iranian boat carrying drugs worth Rs 3,000 crore seized in Lakshadweep, five Pak nationals held (Ld)
Iranian boat carrying drugs worth Rs 3,000 crore seized in Lakshadweep, five Pak nationals held (Ld) Ahmedabad, Sep 30 (IANS) A Nigerian national allegedly acted as a link between a Gujarat-based wanted accused and a wider drug network that planned to move a 526-kg consignment of methamphetamine and heroin to Punjab, Gujarat ATS officials said on Wednesday, adding that the Iranian boat carrying the drugs used a Starlink device to communicate with handlers while at sea. The consignment, comprising around 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin, was seized from the Iranian boat ‘Azad’ in the Arabian Sea west of Lakshadweep on September 25. Five Pakistani nationals on board were apprehended, and the vessel was brought to Mumbai for further investigation. Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi said the agency had received intelligence about a meeting in Ahmedabad between a Nigerian national and a wanted accused from the state in connection with the planned import of more than 500 kg of narcotics. According to the ATS, the original plan was to transfer the consignment to a Tamil Nadu fishing boat in Indian waters, unload it on the Tamil Nadu coast and then transport it onwards. “The drugs were ultimately intended for Punjab, from where they could have been distributed to other parts of north India,” officials said. Joshi said the investigation had established a link with Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haji Salim, describing him as a supplier and a key figure in the network. “Haji Salim has his network in Punjab,” Joshi said, adding that the consignment belonged to his network and had been sent by him. He said the five Pakistani nationals arrested from the ‘Azad’ were also believed to be part of the same network, though their precise roles were still being investigated. The ATS also found that the boat was equipped with a Starlink device. Officials said the system could provide internet connectivity in international waters and could be used for communication, including WhatsApp calls, with handlers in Pakistan. The use of the device is now part of the investigation into how the maritime network coordinated the movement of the consignment.
The Nigerian national who allegedly attended the Ahmedabad meeting is also being investigated. Joshi said Nigerians have emerged in several drug-trafficking networks as intermediaries, peddlers and, in some cases, people operating networks within India. “The Nigerian linked to the present case had appeared in connection with narcotics activity elsewhere, though not previously in a Gujarat ATS case,” he added. The ATS said it had information identifying the intended receiver in Punjab but was withholding details while efforts to trace the network continued. “We know where it was supposed to go, but we will not disclose it at present,” Joshi said. The intelligence was shared with the Indian Coast Guard’s headquarters in Delhi, following which a joint team was formed. Gujarat ATS officers B.H. Korat and V.N. Vaghela were sent to Kochi and joined Coast Guard personnel for maritime surveillance. The operation involved sustained tracking of suspicious boats over a large maritime area. On September 25, the ‘Azad’ was located around 160 nautical miles northwest of Lakshadweep and approximately 490 nautical miles southwest of Mumbai. Officials told IANS that the Coast Guard used smaller boats to surround the vessel during the interception, helping prevent the suspects from throwing the narcotics overboard. “Such precautions were important because dumping the consignment into the sea would have made recovery difficult,” they added. “The operation resulted in the seizure of 526 kg of high-grade heroin and methamphetamine valued at over Rs 3,000 crore, alongside the apprehension of five Pakistani crew members,” the Indian Coast Guard said in a statement. The five accused were identified as Mohammad Yakub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmad Khan and Wahidullah Khan, all residents of Peshawar in Pakistan. Preliminary questioning indicated that the ‘Azad’ had sailed from the Konarak area of Iran and received the narcotics from a smaller boat originating from Gwadar, Pakistan. A case has been registered with the Gujarat ATS, and further investigation is underway to identify the remaining members of the network, including the wanted accused from Gujarat, the Nigerian intermediary and the intended receivers in Punjab.
