Indian Navy seizes narcotics worth Rs. 3000 Cr from foreign fishing vessel in Arabian Sea

As reported, INS Suvarna, whilst on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered the fishing vessel with suspicious movements. As a protocol, to investigate the vessel, the ship's team conducted a boarding and search operation, which led to the seizure of more than 300 kg of narcotic substances.

The boat with its crew has been escorted to the nearest Indian port of Kochi in Kerala for further investigation. The approximate cost of the catch in the international market is estimated to be Rs. 3,000 crore.

Evidently, this is a major catch not only in terms of the quantity and cost but also from the perspective of disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes, which emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards the Indian, Maldivian, and Sri Lankan destinations.

Apart from the human cost of drug addiction, the spoils of narcotics trade feed syndicates involved in terrorism, radicalization, and criminal activities.