“Indian Coast Guard has apprehended a huge consignment of around five tonnes of drugs from a fishing boat in the Andaman waters. This is likely to be the biggest ever drug haul by the Indian Coast Guard ever. More details awaited,” said defence officials.

Crackdown on drug smuggling

This haul is the latest in the series of similar seizures that anti-narcotics agencies have made in their crackdown on drug smuggling and cartels.

In a massive drug haul earlier this month, anti-narcotics agencies seized about 700 kilograms of Methamphetamine – also known as meth – and arrested eight Iranian nationals from Indian territorial waters off the Gujarat coast.

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Codenamed ‘Sagar Manthan – 4’, the operation was launched based on intelligence inputs, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said in a statement, adding that a vessel was identified and interdicted by the Navy by mobilising its maritime patrol assets.

The operation was carried out jointly by the NCB, Navy and Gujarat Police Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had reacted to the drug-bust and said the operation stands out as a “stellar example of the government’s commitment to the vision and the seamless coordination among our agencies in achieving the same.”

A whopping 3,500 kgs of drugs being trafficked through the maritime route has been seized by anti-narcotics agencies this year with the arrest of 11 Iranians and 14 Pakistani nationals in three cases.

All these foreigners are currently lodged in jail awaiting court trial, as per the NCB.