Drug worth Rs 36,000 crore seized in Andamans largest maritime haul

Port Blair: The nearly 6,000 kg of narcotic drug Methamphetamine seized from a fishing trawler in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the largest maritime seizure in India and valued approximately at Rs 36,000 crore, officials said on Tuesday.

It is suspected that the contraband, found on the trawler with six Myanmarese crew members on board near Barren Island in the Andaman Sea, was headed for Thailand. They are currently under police custody.

Director General of Police of the archipelago, Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, said, “It seems that the fishing trawler developed some technical snag and drifted towards the Indian waters instead of going towards Thailand.” “We, in close coordination with the Coast Guard, have seized nearly 6,000 kgs of Methamphetamine with a retail market value of approximately Rs 36,000 crore,” the DGP told PTI.

“This major drug haul marks the largest maritime seizure in #India’s domain, showcasing exceptional coordination & vigilance,” the Coast Guard said in a post on X.

The six arrested Myanmarese were booked under various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985, and the Foreigners Act, 1946.

Since they are not cooperating with the investigators, the police are trying to get the call record of the satellite phone seized from the trawler coming from Myanmar, an official said.

The huge consignment of Methamphetamine, mainly used as a recreational or performance-enhancing drug, could be part of drug cartels, police sources said.

"Based on the quantity of the consignments and the modus operandi it seems like the handiwork of notorious drug cartels like Jalisco New Generation Cartel (run by El Mencho) and Chinese El Chapo gang leaders. In 2019, we seized similar drugs from the Andaman Sea and then El Mencho's cartel emerged as a key suspect," a source said.

Asked about the Thailand connection, a senior police officer said, "During Christmas and New Year's eve, there is a huge demand for such drugs in Thailand. The drugs were packed inside tea packets. All the accused were produced before a local court and remanded in police custody for 14 days".

On November 23, the pilot of a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft while on routine patrolling noticed a suspicious movement of a fishing trawler near Barren Island which is nearly 150 km from Port Blair, a Defence official said.

"The trawler was warned and asked to lower its speed and in the meantime, the pilot alerted the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Immediately, our nearby fast patrolling vessels rushed towards Barren Island and towed the fishing trawler to Port Blair on November 24 for further investigation," the official said.

The DGP said that in recent times, the police and the Coast Guard have been conducting joint operations with heightened vigilance following an increase in sightings of Rohingya boats and Myanmarese poaching vessels in the area.

“These proactive measures culminated in the biggest one-time seizure of narcotics and psychotropic substance,” the DGP said.