New Delhi, Nov 26 (FN Bureau) In the biggest drug haul, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Monday apprehended a Myanmarese fishing boat with six crew onboard carrying about 5,500 kgs of prohibited drug Methamphetamine along with one portable satellite phone in Andaman seas. According to an official statement, an ICG Dornier aircraft, while on reconnaissance sortie, detected a boat which was operating in a suspicious manner. The information was passed on to the Joint Operation Centre, which subsequently deployed a fast patrol vessel from Sri Vijaya Puram to intercept the suspicious boat.
A team of the ICG ship boarded the Myanmarese boat ‘Soe Wai Yan Htoo’ for investigation at 630 am on Sunday when the boat was eight nautical miles off Barren Island in Indian territorial waters and the joint interrogation was carried out. The six crew onboard the boat were identified as Myanmarese nationals. During rummaging, the boarding party found about 5,500 kgs of prohibited drug methamphetamine and one portable Inmarsat satellite phone. Subsequently, the boat was brought to Sri Vijaya Puram for further investigation on Monday. The seizure is the biggest-ever drug haul by ICG, highlighting its commitment to safeguarding Indian territorial waters.