The Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Pakistani boat with 10 crew members carrying arms, ammunition and 40 kilograms of narcotics worth Rs 300 crore off the Gujarat coast on Monday, PTI reported.
When the guards accosted those aboard the Pakistani boat, it steered away and did not stop even after warning shots were fired, reported the news agency.
The Indian Coast Guard seized the boat as part of the joint operation with Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad. Based on intelligence inputs from the Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Indian Coast Guard had strategically deployed its Arinjay ship to patrol the area close to the International Maritime Border Line during the intervening night of December 25, reported PTI.
The 10 apprehended crew members and boat will be taken to Okha port in Gujarat for investigation, the Indian Coast Guard said.
In the last 18 months, this was the seventh joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, and the first recovery of arms and ammunition, along with drugs.
A total of 346 kg of heroin worth Rs 1,930 crore has been seized and 44 Pakistani and seven Iranian crew have been apprehended in the last 18 months, reported The Hindu.
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