Indian authorities have arrested five Pakistani nationals after seizing 526kg of methamphetamine and heroin worth more than Rs3,000 crore (about $330 million) from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea, with investigators alleging that a Nigerian national was linked to the smuggling network.
The drugs were intercepted on September 25 after a 16-day intelligence-led operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad.
According to Gujarat ATS, intelligence indicated that a Nigerian national had recently met a wanted Gujarat-based suspect and allegedly planned the shipment of more than 500kg of narcotics from Iran into India.
ATS Deputy Inspector General, Sunil Joshi, said the consignment was intended to be transferred at sea to another vessel before being taken to Tamil Nadu and eventually moved to Punjab.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that after landing in Tamil Nadu, the consignment was destined for transfer up to Punjab to a Nigerian handler,” Joshi said.
The Iranian vessel, identified as Azad, was intercepted about 160 nautical miles northwest of Lakshadweep and 490 nautical miles southwest of Mumbai.
Indian authorities said the operation was launched following intelligence about a maritime shipment originating from Iran. Coast Guard aircraft and vessels tracked the boat before intercepting it after an extended pursuit.
The five Pakistani crew members—Mohammad Yakub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan and Wahidullah Khan—were detained.
Investigators said the boat had departed from near Konarak port in Iran and received the drugs from smugglers aboard a smaller vessel near Gwadar, Pakistan.
The consignment was allegedly being moved by a transnational trafficking network linked to a suspect identified as Haji Salim.
Joshi said the operation presented challenges because of the vast maritime area involved.
“In such a vast expanse of open sea, scanning every suspicious boat and pinpointing the exact target vessel was a formidable challenge,” he said.
The vessel, its crew and the seized drugs were taken to Mumbai under armed escort for further investigation and legal proceedings.
India’s Home Minister, Amit Shah, said the operation demonstrated cooperation between security agencies and vowed to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking.
“Five Pakistani nationals have been arrested, with further investigation underway to identify the wider network and its intended receivers,” Shah said.
The ATS said the smugglers had allegedly shifted away from Gujarat’s coastline because of increased enforcement, opting instead for alternative maritime routes.
It added that investigators were working with other agencies to locate the wanted Gujarat-based suspect and establish further links in the alleged network.
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