NIA to probe India's biggest drug haul; Accused Pakistani national remanded to 14-day judicial custody

Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opened an investigation into the Sunday vessel seizure in Indian waters of over 2500 kilograms of methamphetamine worth Rs 15 crore. 

The NIA on Monday interrogated accused Pakistani national Zubair, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) during a joint operation with the Navy on an Indian vessel. The accused was produced before a magistrate court in Kochi on Monday night and subsequently remanded for 14 days. However, the accused claimed that he is from Iran.

The NCB also verified that the substances belonged to Pakistan's infamous drug trafficking organisation, the Haji Salim Network. The drug production facilities at Jiwanu, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, produced them for the sunken "mothership." The nameless mothership sank, and the navy and coast guard are still looking into how many people managed to escape on a speedboat. The Pakistan boat targeted Lakshadweep and Sri Lanka.

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In one of the biggest Methamphetamine seizures ever, the Narcotics Control Bureau has revealed informed that it has recovered 2500 kg of drugs valued at Rs 15000 crore from a ship off India's western coast in a joint operation with the Indian Navy. 

Following a tip-off as part of Operation Samudragupt, the NCB launched a joint operation in coordination with the Intelligence Wing of the Indian Navy, intelligence about the movement of a 'Mother Ship' carrying a huge quantity of Methamphetamine from Makran coast was generated (Mother Ships are large sea-going vessels carrying large quantities of narcotic contrabands for distribution to receiving vessels over the route).

In a statement, the NCB said that assets were mobilized and a close watch over the input was maintained by the team. The continuous intelligence collection and analysis resulted in the identification of a highly probable route that the mother ship would take for the distribution of contraband.

Accordingly, these details were shared with Indian Navy and an Indian Naval Ship was deployed in the vicinity. Based on this input, a large sea-going vessel was intercepted by the Navy. A total of 134 sacks of suspected Methamphetamine were recovered from the ship and an Iranian national was also detained. 

While the Iran-Pakistan border region has been identified as the drug's source, identifying the connections in India is the next phase in the research. Targeting drug cartels in important Indian cities is the subject of ongoing investigations. The six persons who escaped from the pack boat are being sought after. After new details about Pakistan's connection emerged, the NIA joined the inquiry to look into whether there was a terrorist connection to the occurrence.

Also read: Biggest Methamphetamine haul ever; 2500 kg drugs worth Rs 15000 cr seized from 'Mother Ship' in Indian waters