NE NEWS SERVICE
AHMEDABAD, JAN 6
The Indian Coast Guard and the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Gujarat Police in a joint operation nabbed five Pakistani nationals on-board a boat mid-sea off Gujarat coast at 1:05 am on Monday when they were allegedly trying to smuggle drugs into the state, a defence release said.
Nearly 35 packets of suspected drugs were seized from the five men near Jakhau coast in Kutch district. The approximate weight of confiscated contraband is 35 Kg valuing Rs 175 crores in international market, the release added.
According to Saurabh Tolumbia, Superintendent of Police, Kutch-West, “The early morning operation in the Arabian Sea was carried out by teams of Kutch Police’s Special Operation Group, Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Commandos of Marine Task Force belonging to the Indian Coast Guard.”
Video Courtesy: Defence PRO, Gandhinagar
“We have arrested five Pakistani nationals and seized about 35 packets of suspected drugs from them near Jakhau. We have also seized their boat JamJam,” the official said.
A team from a forensic science laboratory has been called in to examine the contraband and ascertain its type. The interrogation of the apprehended accused persons is in progress jointly by all agencies, he added.
All the five Pak Nationals apprehended from Pakistani boat were residents of baba Zajeera in Pakistan. They were identified as Anees Isa Bhatti (30), Ismail Mohammed Kachchi (50), Ashhraf Usman Kutchhi (42), Kareem Abdulla (37) and Abubaqar Ashraf Sumra (55), the official added