Drugs worth over $330 million (Rs 3,000 crore) were confiscated from an Iranian ship in the Arabian Sea. A Nigerian individual has been tied to an international drugs racket.
The PUNCH adds that the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad identified the Nigerian as an alleged link between a wanted suspect residing in Gujarat and others in the trafficking network.
A joint operation of Gujarat ATS and the Indian Coast Guard on September 25 seized a drugs haul of 526kg including 400kg of methamphetamine and 126kg of heroin.
The ATS had received intelligence regarding the wanted suspect meeting the Nigerian in Ahmedabad, which led to the alert being issued to the Coast Guard and the interception of the Iranian vessel.
Investigators said the Nigerian was linked to a network related with accused narcotics trafficker Haji Salim, who is headquartered in Pakistan.
The package was purportedly to be taken to Punjab for distribution in north India via the network.
The drugs were to be shifted from the Iranian vessel to a fishing boat in Indian waters and then brought to the coast of Tamil Nadu and conveyed to their ultimate destinations, the report said.
During the raid, five Pakistani nationals on board the vessel were arrested and investigations continued to identify more members of the suspected network and determine the Nigerian’s exact role in the trafficking operation.
The ship, caught northwest of Lakshadweep, was purportedly carrying a Starlink gadget, which was supposedly used to talk to handlers in Pakistan.
The Gujarat ATS said it was continuing its investigation into the suspected international trafficking network.
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