Meth worth several thousand crores seized from high seas by Indian Navy, NCB – The News Minute

In a joint operation with the Indian Navy, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has seized approximately 2500 kg of narcotic substance suspected to be high purity methamphetamine, a recreational drug, from the Indian waters. A statement from the NCB said a suspected Pakistani national has been detained following a joint operation with the Indian Navy. The seized drugs have been valued at Rs 15,000 crore by the NCB.

"The seizure was part of Operation Samudragupt targeting maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan, said a press statement from the NCB. The statement also said that this was the third major seizure of drugs through maritime trafficking by the agency in the last one and half years. This is also the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the country.

The NCB statement said the seizure was possible because of intelligence gathered on a 'Mother Ship' carrying the Methamphetamine from Makran coast. The details were shared with the Indian Navy, which deployed a vessel in the vicinity of the probable route the ship carrying the contraband would take. The Navy recovered 134 sacks of Methamphetamine from the ship. A person suspected to be a Pakistani national was also detained from a speed boat intercepted by the Navy.

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Makran coast is a semi-desert coastal strip that lies stretched across Balochistan in Pakistan and Iran, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman.

When asked why the Mother Ship was not taken into custody, an officer with the NCB said the vessel was sinking when it was intercepted by the Navy. During the naval operation, while approaching the ship it was sinking and the crew tried to escape in a speed boat. This is what the Navy told us. Hence the mothership is not with us, the official said. The Pakistani national, the intercepted boat and some other items salvaged from the Mother Ship were brought to Mattancherry Wharf in Kochi on May 13, 2023.

Operation Samudragupt has so far resulted in seizure of a total of 3200 kilogram methamphetamine, 500 kg of heroin and 529 kg of hashish, the statement said. The primary objective of Operation Samudragupt is to collect actionable inputs which could lead to interception of ships carrying narcotics contraband.

The statement said as per their primary analysis all the packets contained methamphetamine. As the seizure procedures are still underway, the exact quantity of methamphetamine recovered is not clear yet. However, from the number of packets recovered, we estimate it to be around 2500 kg, it said.

The statement said as the seizure procedures are still underway, the exact quantity of Methamphetamine recovered is not clear yet and their estimation is a conservative figure. However, from the number of packets recovered, we estimate it to be around 2500 kg, the statement said.

When asked about the valuation process for the seized drugs in bundles which have not been weighed or examined, the official said the price valuation is based on UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes) protocols There is farmgate price, retailer price and peddling price with which we can assess," an NCB official told TNM.

NCB launched operation Samudragupt in January 2022. "For this task, the team exchanged and gathered information from drug law enforcement agencies such as DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence), ATS (Anti Terrorist Squad) Gujarat etc and intelligence agencies such as Intelligence Wing of Indian Navy, NTRO etc," the statement said.

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Meth worth several thousand crores seized from high seas by Indian Navy, NCB - The News Minute