On Saturday, May 11, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) announced that it has seized nearly 2500 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 12,000 crore from a vessel in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kochi in a joint operation with the Indian navy. One suspect, reportedly from Pakistan, has also been arrested. The NCB described it as the largest-ever methamphetamine seizure in the country as part of “Operation Samudragupt”, which targets the maritime trafficking of drugs originating from Afghanistan.
According to the NCB, methamphetamine originated from the “Death Crescent,” which includes Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. NCB said that this was the first time an Indian agency intercepted a “mother ship” trafficking drugs. This “mother ship” distributed drugs to multiple boats during its journey from the Makran coast around Pakistan and Iran.
#WATCH | Kochi, Kerala: NCB & Indian Navy seizes approx 2500 kg high purity methamphetamine in the Indian waters that value around Rs 12,000 crores. Police detain one suspect: NCB pic.twitter.com/gxDkZVxhlY
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2023
According to the NCB, the methamphetamine shipment from Afghanistan was bound for India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The Navy brought 134 sacks of purported methamphetamine, the seized boat, and other recovered items from the ship, as well as the Pakistani national, to Mattancherry Wharf and turned them over to the NCB. The seizure came after the NCB and Navy received a tip regarding the consignment crossing the Indian coastline roughly 15 days ago.
AS PART OF ONGOING OPERATION SAMUDRAGUPTA 2022-23
— NCB INDIA (@narcoticsbureau) May 13, 2023
📌Approx 2500kg high purity Methamphetamine seized
📌From Indian waters off Kerala
📌One susp Pak national detained
📌Jt Op by NCB & Indian Navy
📌Largest seizure of meth@HMOIndia @BhallaAjay26 @PIBHomeAffairs @ANI pic.twitter.com/hn17JpuQdP
“NCB has initiated seizure procedures, and preliminary analysis shows that all of the packets contain high-purity methamphetamine,” NCB stated.
The NCB termed this as the third major drug trafficking seizure along the southern route in a year and a half. As part of the operation, about 3,200 kg of methamphetamine, 500 kg of heroin, and 529 kg of hashish have been recovered. The narcotics seized were sourced from Balochistan and Afghanistan.
The Indian Navy and NCB conducted a joint operation to intercept an Iranian boat off the coast of Kerala in October 2022. During this operation, 200 kg of high-grade heroin, which had been brought in from Afghanistan, was seized and six Iranian drug traffickers were apprehended.
Following that, the NCB said, the sharing of real-time actionable information generated during the operation with Sri Lanka and the Maldives resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine and the arrest of 19 drug traffickers in two operations conducted by the Sri Lankan Navy in December 2022 and April 2023.
