The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday arrested six Pakistani nationals from a sea boat off Jakhau coast in Kutch and seized 77 kg of heroin worth Rs 385 crore.
According to officials, a joint team of ATS and ICG intercepted a boat named Al Hussaini, 35 nautical miles off Jakhau coast in Kutch along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and arrested six Pakistani nationals for trying to send drugs from Karachi. arrested on charges. Pakistan to India. The arrested people have been identified as Mohd Imran Wagher, Ismail Badala, Mohd Sajid Wagher, Sagar Wagher, Mohd Danish Wagher and Ashfaq Wagher, all residents of Karachi.
At a press conference in Ahmedabad on Monday, Gujarat Police Director General of Police (DGP) Ashish Bhatia said, “After ATS officials received an information that a boat carrying a consignment of narcotics from Karachi was about to enter India, ICG officials were contacted. And using their interceptor boat, in a joint operation, six Pakistani nationals were apprehended and 77 kg of heroin was seized in the middle of the sea. The accused are being brought to Ahmedabad for further questioning.
“Preliminary investigation has revealed that two handlers – Haji Hassan and Haji Hasam – who are part of the Pakistan drug mafia, had approached one of the arrested, Mohammad Imran, to arrange for six people and board a fishing boat. . Mamu, a relative of Haji Hasam, had delivered a consignment of narcotics to the fishermen, five nautical miles from the Karachi port. The consignment was to be sent to Punjab after landing on the Gujarat coast,” Bhatia said, adding that the investigation into the recent drug seizure cases in Morbi and Devbhumi Dwarka has been handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Gujarat ATS officials also said that the accused smugglers were using very high frequency (VHF) channels to connect with the receiver and their code words for communication were “Hari 1 and Hari 2”.
When asked about the recent drug seizures off the Gujarat coast, Bhatia said, “We know that Gujarat coast is closest to the Karachi ports, so, despite the present seizures, these elements remain the same for smuggling of drugs. Trying to use route. Due to huge profit margin. Those who have been arrested are just pawns and big players are sitting there (in Pakistan). Police has also started the process of issuing Red Corner Notices against such persons but the results are limited.