Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship seized 56 kgs of narcotics worth approximately Rs 280 crore on Monday, April 25, 2022, near Jahkhau, Kutch in a joint operation with the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Gujarat. The Pakistani boat ‘Al Haj’ carried a nine-member crew. Following an intelligence input, the ICG and ATS Gujarat strategically deployed ships to patrol the area near the International Maritime Border Line.
This operation began when the suspected boat was tracked by the Indian Coast Guard Ship during the late hours of the night of April 24, 2022, at approximately 05 nautical miles (NM) inside Indian waters. Leading to this, the ICG ship closed the vessel and directed her to stop for investigation. However, on being challenged, the vessel threw some bundles in the water and started to flee, the ICG ship immediately recovered the floating bundles from the sea which were confirmed to be narcotics. In an attempt to stop the fleeing boat, warning shots were fired across the hull by the ICG ship after the Pakistani boat ignored all auditory and visual warnings. After the warning shots were fired, the feeling Pak ship halted and was then apprehended by the ICG ship.
Later, the boat was then towed to Jakhau inside Indian waters by the officials as primary evidence involved in the illegal transhipment of narcotics and for the security agencies to undertake a joint investigation to further establish the facts. This is the third such joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and ATS, Gujarat in the last seven months.
