Ahmedabad/Porbandar/ Mumbai:

In the largest ever Narcotics haul off Gujarat Coast, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized 1500 kg of drugs (heroin) worth around 3500 crores from an old foreign merchant vessel which was being brought to Alang ship-breaking yard in the state and all the 8 crew members of the ship (all of whom were Indian) have been arrested, Spokesperson of the western command of the ICG at Mumbai, Commandment S Dwivedi today said.

He said that the old vessel M V Henry which was being brought to Alang in Gujarat for dismantling as a scrap was registered in Panama. However the papers during initial scrutiny seemed to fake, according to another senior official of the coast guard.

The vessel was intercepted and caught yesterday in the high sea (far away sea) on the intelligence input received 3 days back. It was kept under watch since then. It was being brought to Porbandar.

The heroin was concealed in a horizontal pipe on the top of the vessel in several packets.

“The Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Samudra Pavak’ intercepted and apprehended a merchant vessel carrying approximately 1,500 kg of heroin valued at about Rs 3,500 crore off the coast of Gujarat,” a statement by defense spokesperson of Gujarat earlier said.

“Based on intelligence inputs, the vessel was intercepted at around 1200 hrs yesterday (Saturday). This is the largest single haul of narcotics seized till date,” the statement said.

Various agencies including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), customs and NIA etc have also been involved in the investigation.