The 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine, valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore intercepted by Indian Coast Guard and Gujarat ATS west of Lakshadweep
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Indian Coast Guard seized around 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine, valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore in the international market, after intercepting an Iranian dhow in the Arabian Sea off Lakshadweep, officials said. The operation followed intelligence received by Gujarat ATS police inspector J M Patel on Sept 10 about a suspected international narcotics deal involving a Nigerian national and associates. The intelligence indicated that an Iranian boat named Azad was being used to transport around 500 kg of methamphetamine and heroin to Indian waters, where the consignment was to be transferred to a Tamil Nadu-based boat.
Five Pakistani nationals aboard the Iranian dhow — Mohammad Yakub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan and Wahidullah Khan, all residents of Peshawar, Pakistan — have been arrested.
The operation began on Sept 14. The intelligence indicated that a Nigerian national had recently met a Gujarat-based accused and they had planned to smuggle more than 500 kg of methamphetamine and heroin from Iran into India, he said. A search of the vessel led to the recovery of approximately 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin. In April 2025, Coast Guard, in a joint operation with Gujarat ATS, seized 307.5 kg of narcotics off the Gujarat coast, according to Coast Guard’s official record of interdiction cases.
During preliminary questioning, the crew allegedly revealed that Azad had sailed from Konarak in Iran and that the drug shipment had been transferred to it from a small boat that had arrived from Gwadar, Pakistan. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ahmedabad | Silver Rate in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Petrol Price in Ahmedabad | Diesel Price in Ahmedabad | CNG Price in Ahmedabad | LPG Price in Ahmedabad Stay updated with the latest Ahmedabad news.
An advance payment for the consignment had already been made through the hawala channel, while the remaining amount was to be paid after delivery, according to ATS. Sunil Joshi, deputy inspector general of police for the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), said that “the consignment was sent by Haji Salim from Pakistan. Advance funds for the operation were allegedly routed through hawala channels, while the smugglers planned to avoid the Gujarat coastline and offload the consignment at sea, he said. “It emerged from subsequent investigation that this boat was set to approach from waters near Lakshadweep and Mumbai to offload the delivery onto another boat from Tamil Nadu mid-sea,” Joshi said. Sources said that ATS also had specific inputs that there was a meeting held between a Nigerian and some locals, and officials said they are probing that aspect. Coast Guard said the operation demonstrated its surveillance and maritime interdiction capabilities and its commitment to preventing illicit activities in India’s maritime zones.
The drugs were allegedly to be unloaded along the Tamil Nadu coast and moved in smaller quantities through different vehicles before being delivered to a Nigerian national in Punjab. The boat also had an instrument which allowed the accused to use the internet while on the move. Following the intelligence input, senior Gujarat ATS officers alerted Indian Coast Guard headquarters in Delhi. Under the guidance of ATS SP K Siddharth, a team comprising inspectors B H Korot and V N Vaghela was sent to Kochi, where it joined Coast Guard officers to form a joint operation team. The team subsequently sailed aboard a Coast Guard vessel and conducted surveillance and checks of suspicious boats in the maritime area. Coast Guard intercepted and stopped the dhow, following which ATS and Coast Guard personnel boarded and searched it. Further investigation is underway and a case is being registered by Gujarat ATS. Investigators are probing the international network behind the consignment, the intended recipients and the hawala transactions linked to the deal. The seizure would help disrupt the financial network of international drug syndicates and prevent synthetic drugs from reaching the mainland, it added. Download the TOI App.
Salim was earlier associated in a big consignment and had been named in several seizures by various agencies. On Friday, the vessel identified through the intelligence input was in Indian territorial waters west of Lakshadweep. The vessel was subsequently brought to Mumbai on Wednesday morning.