In connection with seizure of heroin worth over Rs 3,500 crore off Porbandar coast, the Gujarat ATS on Monday arrested three persons, who were in constant touch with the captain of the vessel before it was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard. Sources said that the captain was to get Rs 5 crore for the delivery of narcotics.
On Saturday, ICG personnel seized 1,500 kilogrammes of heroin valued at over Rs 3,500 crore from a foreign ship off Porbandar coast.
The ship “Henry Panama” was reportedly coming from Iran and was destined for Alang ship-breaking yard in Bhavnagar district for dismantling. But the ICG had received Intelligence inputs on July 25 that the ship on its last journey was carrying huge amount of narcotics for delivery in India.
Based on input, the coast guard had mounted vigil on the foreign ships coming to Gujarat coasts. It conducted searches on two other ships before seizure of huge narcotic haul in “Henry Panama,” the sources said.
The Heroin bags were found hidden in a horizontal pipe on the top of the ship. Aboard the ship were eight crew members, who are all Indians. All of them had the knowledge about the drugs the ship was carrying and were put under arrest.
The ICG officials termed their success as the largest ever haul of narcotics seized till date. ICG Ship “Samudra Pavak” intercepted and apprehended the foreign merchant vessel in the high seas and seized the drugs.