In a significant anti-narcotics operation, Indian agencies seized approximately 700 kg of methamphetamine and arrested eight foreign nationals claiming to be Iranians from Indian territorial waters near Porbandar, off the Gujarat coast, on Friday. The operation, codenamed "Sagar Manthan-4," was launched following intelligence inputs indicating that an unregistered vessel, lacking an Automatic Identification System (AIS) or other electronic tracking indicators, would be entering Indian waters carrying narcotics.
The Indian Navy mobilised its maritime patrol assets to intercept the vessel, resulting in the successful seizure and apprehension of those aboard. The seized methamphetamine, a synthetic recreational drug, has an estimated street value between ₹2,500 crore and ₹3,500 crore in the international market, according to officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), news agency PTI reported.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the agencies involved, lauding their exceptional coordination and dedication to making India safer. “Pursuing PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s vision for a drug-free Bharat, our agencies today busted an international drug trafficking cartel and seized over approx. 700 kg of contraband meth in Gujarat. The joint operation carried out by the NCB, Indian Navy, and Gujarat Police stands out as a stellar example of our commitment to the vision as well as the seamless coordination among our agencies in achieving the same. My heartiest congratulations to the agencies on this landmark breakthrough,” Shah posted on X.
NCB India posted, "Today’s operation marks a significant stride towards a drug-free Bharat! With the combined efforts of NCB, the Indian Navy, and Gujarat Police, we’ve successfully dismantled an international drug trafficking cartel and seized around 700 kg of meth. Together, we stand stronger in our mission."
Navy said, "This is the second major successful coordinated Anti Narcotics Operations at sea by the Navy this year."
Operation 'SAGAR-MANTHAN'
Operation "SAGAR-MANTHAN" was launched earlier this year by the NCB, involving a dedicated team of officers from the NCB Headquarters, the Indian Navy, the Indian Coast Guard, and the ATS of Gujarat Police. The aim of the operation is to counter the growing threat to national security posed by the maritime trafficking of illicit drugs. Since its inception, the operation has led to the seizure of over 3,400 kg of various narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. In previous cases, 11 Iranian nationals and 14 Pakistani nationals have been arrested, all of whom are currently in jail awaiting trial.