Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 27: In a significant breakthrough against maritime drug trafficking, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), working jointly with ATS Gujarat, seized nearly 115 kilograms of cocaine during a coordinated overnight anti-smuggling mission off the coast of Mundra between May 25 and 26, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
The operation was launched following credible intelligence inputs provided by ATS Gujarat. Acting swiftly, ICG interceptor boats carrying ATS personnel carried out an intensive surveillance and search exercise in the Mundra anchorage region.
During the mission, officials detected suspicious movements aboard the container ship MV Europe, positioned around five nautical miles from the Mundra coast. Authorities observed several bags being dumped into the sea from the vessel under the cover of darkness.
Responding immediately, the joint ICG-ATS team moved to the spot and managed to retrieve five bags from the water despite difficult nighttime and low-visibility conditions.
Subsequent inspection revealed that the recovered bags contained packets filled with a white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine. In total, officials recovered 115 packets weighing around one kilogram each, taking the total seized contraband to approximately 115 kg.
According to preliminary open-source estimates, the international market value of the confiscated narcotics is close to Rs 1,150 crore.
Authorities later escorted the vessel to port for detailed investigation. Officials stated that a joint probe involving the Indian Coast Guard, ATS Gujarat, and other agencies is currently underway to identify the wider smuggling network and trace the origin and destination of the narcotics shipment.
The operation further underlines the strong coordination and intelligence-sharing mechanism between the Indian Coast Guard and ATS Gujarat. Officials noted that this is the fifteenth successful anti-drug operation conducted jointly by the two agencies over the past five years, reinforcing their continued efforts to strengthen coastal security and support the national mission of a “Nasha Mukt Bharat.”