Porbandar: In a major anti-smuggling operation, the Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), seized 300 kg of narcotics worth ₹1,800 crore near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) off the Gujarat coast during the night of April 12-13.

In an official statement, the Coast Guard said, “The Indian Coast Guard, in a joint operation with Gujarat ATS on the night of 12-13 Apr 25, seized 300 kg of narcotics worth Rs 1800 Cr off IMBL near the Gujarat coast. On spotting the ICG ship, smugglers dumped contraband & fled across the IMBL. Consignment recovered at sea & handed to ATS for further investigation. A testament to strong inter-agency synergy against drug smuggling.”

Acting on specific intelligence shared by Gujarat ATS, an Indian Coast Guard vessel deployed on a multi-mission patrol in the North Maharashtra–South Gujarat maritime region was redirected to intercept a suspected transshipment attempt near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Despite challenging visibility, the Coast Guard ship managed to locate the suspect boat before the transfer could take place.

Realizing it had been detected, the smugglers aboard the vessel dumped the narcotics into the sea and attempted to flee across the IMBL. The ICG immediately launched its sea boat to recover the discarded contraband while simultaneously pursuing the fleeing vessel. Due to the boat’s initial distance and its proximity to the IMBL, the smugglers were able to cross into international waters, ending the chase. Nevertheless, the ICG’s sea team retrieved the dumped narcotics under difficult nighttime conditions. The recovered consignment was transported to Porbandar for further investigation.

The Modi govt is rooting out drug networks ruthlessly.

In the ceaseless pursuit of building a drug-free Bharat, a monumental feat was achieved by seizing 300 kg of narcotics worth ₹1800 crore near the international maritime border. This operation, in the seas, is a shining…

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 14, 2025

Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the agency for the seizure on X and said, “The Modi govt is rooting out drug networks ruthlessly. In the ceaseless pursuit of building a drug-free Bharat, a monumental feat was achieved by seizing 300 kg of narcotics worth ₹1800 crore near the international maritime border. This operation, in the seas, is a shining example of the success of the Modi govt’s whole-of-the-government approach to rooting out the evil of narcotics. Applaud Gujarat Police ATS and India Coast Guard for the grand success.”

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi praised the agency, saying, “This successful operation showcases the strong inter-agency synergy in the fight against drug smuggling.” DeshGujarat