NCB seizes over 3000 kg of hash, meth in major drug bust in Arabian Sea

New Delhi: In a significant victory against drug trafficking, the Indian Navy, in a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), seized a staggering 3,300 kilograms of illegal drugs from a ship near Gujarat's Porbandar on Tuesday. This marks the largest drug seizure by the Indian Navy in recent memory.

Dhow intercepted, crew arrested

The Navy, acting on intelligence from a P8I LRMR surveillance aircraft, intercepted a suspicious dhow (sailing vessel) near Porbandar. The ship's crew, consisting of five Pakistani nationals, were apprehended during the operation.

Seized drugs include charas, methamphetamine, morphine

The seized contraband consisted of:

• Over 3,089 kilograms of charas (cannabis resin)
• 158 kilograms of methamphetamine (a highly addictive synthetic stimulant)
• 25 kilograms of morphine (a powerful opioid pain medication)

Collaboration key to success

The Indian Navy, in a statement, emphasized the collaborative effort with the NCB as crucial to the success of the operation. The statement further stated that the seized drugs, along with the apprehended boat and crew, have been handed over to police official at an Indian port.

Operation conducted near international maritime boundary line

A senior official from the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) revealed that the operation was conducted in the Arabian Sea, close to the International Maritime Boundary Line.

Largest seizure follows recent drug bust

This major drug bust comes just a week after another significant operation where authorities seized a staggering 1,100 kilograms of mephedrone (also known as "Meow Meow") worth an estimated ₹2,500 crore in raids conducted across Pune and New Delhi.