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Swarajya Staff
Apr 20, 2021, 11:54 AM | Updated 11:54 AM IST
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Indian Naval Ship Suvarna, on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered a fishing vessel with suspicious movements. To investigate the vessel, the ship’s team conducted a boarding and search operation, which led to the seizure of more than 300 kg of narcotic substance.
The boat with its crew has been escorted to Kochi, Kerala for further investigation. The approximate cost of the catch in the international market is estimated to be Rs 3000 Crore.
This is a major catch not only in terms of the quantity and cost but also from the perspective of disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes, which emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards the Indian, Maldivian and Sri Lankan destinations, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Apart from the human costs from drug addiction, the spoils of narcotics trade feed syndicates involved in terrorism, radicalisation and criminal activities.