Indian Coast Guard seizes cigarettes, detains Iranian crew off Gujarat

The Indian Coast Guard intercepted a suspicious foreign vessel, Al Mukhtar, with a four-member Iranian crew in the Indian EEZ. They discovered 200 cartons of smuggled foreign cigarettes, valued at approximately Rs 2.5-5 crore, hidden on the boat.

In a major maritime enforcement operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted a suspicious foreign vessel within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The vessel, carrying an Iranian crew, was found to be transporting a large consignment of smuggled foreign-brand cigarettes.

Smuggled Cigarettes Seized

Providing details of the mid-sea interception in a post on X, the Indian Coast Guard stated, ''On 21 Feb 26, @IndiaCoastGuard ship intercepted a suspicious foreign boat inside the #Indian #EEZ, approximately 115 NM west of #Dwarka.'' https://x.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/2025451256094011749?s=20

Upon boarding and searching the vessel, officials identified the boat and its occupants. ''The vessel, identified as Al Mukhtar, was manned by four #Iranian crew,'' the ICG noted.

A thorough inspection of the boat's storage areas led to the discovery of the illicit cargo hidden deep within the vessel. ''On rummaging, 200 cartons containing about one lakh packets of foreign brand cigarettes were discovered concealed in the holds,'' the Coast Guard added.

The financial scale of the smuggling attempt is significant, as authorities estimated the international market value of the consignment at approximately Rs 2.5-5 crore.

The intercepted vessel and its crew have been taken into custody for detailed questioning. ''The boat is being escorted to #Porbandar for further investigation and joint interrogation with stakeholders,'' the ICG confirmed.

Recent Drug Bust at Sea

This latest seizure follows a similar high-stakes maritime crackdown just days prior. In a swift and daring overnight operation on February 17, the Indian Coast Guard undertook an intelligence-based operation at sea, jointly with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).

Based on a corroborated input from Gujarat ATS, an ICG ship from the Coast Guard Region (North West) on multi-mission deployment was diverted to intercept a foreign fishing boat suspected of drug smuggling in proximity of the notional International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

Despite the pitch-dark night, the ICG ship identified the suspect boat through a combination of human and technical surveillance. On realising the approaching ICG ship, the suspect boat started fleeing towards the notional IMBL.

Despite the initial separation between the ICG ship and the boat at the time of its detection, the speedboat was chased down and stopped. On board, the boat was found to be manned by two crew of foreign nationality.

The boat was thoroughly rummaged, and 203 packets (1kg each) of crystalline contents suspected to be drugs were found hidden in the boat. The apprehended boat has been brought to Porbandar by the ICG ship for further investigations and chemical analysis of the substance.

Strengthening Coastal Security

The collaboration of ICG and ATS has led to numerous successful law enforcement operations in recent years and reaffirms the synergy towards the overall national objective of Coastal Security.

These maritime operations come amid a broader crackdown on security threats in the region. (ANI)

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