Confirming the bust in a statement on the bust, the navy in a post on X said, “Indian Navy in a coordinated operation with @narcoticsbureau & Gujarat Police intercepted a suspicious boat leading to seizure of approx 700 kg of meth in Gujarat. This is the second major successful coordinated Anti Narcotics Operations at sea by the Navy this year.”
The operation began after intelligence reports indicated the presence of an unregistered vessel entering Indian territorial waters with illicit substances. Acting on this tip-off, the agencies launched op codenamed “SAGAR-MANTHAN – 4.” The maritime patrol units of the Navy intercepted the suspicious vessel, resulting in the recovery of the contraband and the detention of eight individuals aboard. The detainees, who claim Iranian nationality, were found without identification documents, according to news agency ANI.
Union home minister Amit Shah lauded the operation, emphasising in curbing drug trafficking. “Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision for a drug-free Bharat, our agencies today busted an international drug trafficking cartel and seized over 700 kg of contraband meth in Gujarat. The joint operation stands out as a stellar example of our commitment to the vision as well as the seamless coordination among our agencies,” Shah posted on X.
“My heartiest congratulations to the agencies on this landmark breakthrough,” he added.
The investigation is ongoing, with Indian authorities collaborating with foreign drug law enforcement agencies to dismantle the syndicate’s global network.
Operation “SAGAR-MANTHAN,” launched earlier this year, aims to counter the growing threat of maritime drug trafficking to national security.
Through collaborative efforts between NCB, Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard, multiple maritime operations have been executed in the past as well. These operations resulted in the confiscation of approximately 3400 kgs of narcotic drugs and psychotropic aubstance. The enforcement actions led to the apprehension of 11 Iranian citizens and 14 Pakistani citizens across three separate cases. All these individuals are currently incarcerated, pending their court proceedings.
A major drug bust in Gujarat was reported last month when the state police in a joint op with the Delhi police seized 518 kilograms of cocaine worth Rs 5,000 crore, in line with the policy of “Zero Tolerance against Drugs and Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan”. The raid was conducted at a pharmaceutical company in Ankleshwar, as per a statement from Delhi Police’s Special Cell and Gujarat Police.
