A Pakistani national has been arrested in a significant drug bust by Kerala Police. The arrest was made in a joint operation by the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on the Kerala coast. The operation resulted in the seizure of over 2,525 kg of high-purity methamphetamine drugs valued at Rs 25,000 crore. It is considered the largest drug bust in terms of monetary value, approximately Rs 15,000 crore.
The drug network is believed to have originated from the Chabahar port in Iran, with the source of the drugs being Pakistan. The mother ship involved in the operation was stationed at various points in the sea. The arrested Pakistani national will appear in court today.
The NCB stated that the drug consignment was intended for Sri Lanka, Maldives, and India. Operation Samudragupta, which began in February 2022, targeted the maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan. This is the third major seizure by the NCB through the southern route in the past year and a half.
The drug cache was transported on a mother ship, a large vessel that distributes narcotics to smaller boats during its journey. The mother ship departed from the Makran coast near Pakistan and Iran. In addition to methamphetamine drugs, previous seizures made under the operation included 500 kg of heroin and 529 kg of hashish.
The NCB has initiated seizure procedures, and preliminary analysis confirms that all the packets contain high-purity methamphetamine. This operation follows previous successful seizures, including one in February 2022 where 529 kg of hashish, 221 kg of methamphetamine, and 13 kg of heroin were seized off the coast of Gujarat. Another seizure in October 2022 resulted in the interception of an Iranian boat off the coast of Kerala, leading to the seizure of 200 kg of high-grade heroin sourced from Afghanistan and the arrest of six Iranian drug traffickers.
The continuous efforts of the Indian Navy and the NCB aim to combat drug trafficking through maritime routes, ensuring the safety and security of the region.
