According to a top Gujarat ATS official with knowledge of the matter, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) confiscated 300 kilograms of methamphetamine, worth ₹1,800 crore, in a combined operation near the International Maritime Boundary Line off the Gujarat coast.
According to the official, smugglers aboard a fishing boat observed the Indian patrol half a mile within Indian seas and threw the drugs—which were allegedly smuggled from Pakistan—into the sea. In order to avoid being arrested, the smugglers escaped into Pakistani seas across the border, he continued. After being seized, the shipment was given to the ATS for additional examination.
Harsh Sanghavi, the home minister of Gujarat, announced the news on his official X account. Drawing comparisons to previous successful operations involving the Indian Coast Guard, Narcotics Control Bureau, and ATS, he emphasized in a post that the seizure of drugs valued at ₹1,800 crore off the Gujarat coast showed the efficacy of such cooperation. “This operation demonstrates the effectiveness of inter-agency collaboration in combating drug smuggling, similar to previous joint operations by Indian Coast Guard, NCB, and ATS that have resulted in significant seizures”, he wrote.
The continuous efforts to stop drug trafficking along Gujarat’s 1,600-kilometer coastline, which presents difficulties because of its advantageous maritime location, include this seizure.
