Indian Coast Guard Seizes 526 Kg Narcotics From Iranian Dhow in Arabian Sea
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New Delhi , Sept 30: The Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), has seized around 526 kg of narcotics from an Iranian dhow in the Arabian Sea, officials said.
The operation was conducted on September 25 in the waters west of Lakshadweep. Five Pakistani nationals who were operating the vessel were also detained during the operation.
According to the Coast Guard, the seized narcotics included heroin and methamphetamine, with an estimated international market value of more than Rs 3,000 crore.
The operation followed coordinated sea and aerial surveillance of the suspicious vessel. After tracking the dhow, the Coast Guard launched a hot pursuit and subsequently intercepted and boarded the vessel.
The operation was carried out in coordination with the Gujarat ATS as part of efforts to detect and disrupt suspected transnational maritime drug-smuggling networks.
Indian Coast Guard seizes 526kg of heroin and methamphetamine worth over 3,000 crore rupees from an Iranian dhow in the Arabian Sea and detains five Pakistani crew. pic.twitter.com/WY3xfFQeBt
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) September 30, 2026
Following the seizure, the dhow, its crew and the confiscated narcotics were escorted to Mumbai under armed security. The detained crew members are being subjected to joint interrogation, while further legal proceedings are underway.
The latest seizure comes amid continued efforts by Indian maritime and law enforcement agencies to prevent the
smuggling of narcotics through sea routes.
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In April 2025, the Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with the Gujarat ATS, had seized 307.5 kg of narcotics off the Gujarat coast, according to the Coast Guard's official records of interdiction operations.
Authorities have conducted several joint operations along maritime routes in the Arabian Sea based on intelligence inputs, vessel surveillance and coordination between maritime and land-based agencies.