Three Sri Lankan boats were caught off the Kerala coast; Seized narcotics

Three Sri Lankan fishing boats, carrying unauthorized communication equipment and narcotics, Minicoy were seized by the Indian Coast Guard, following which a joint and detailed investigation has been launched by the agencies concerned.

The three boats – Akash Duva, Chatthu Rani 03 and Chathu Rani 08, with fully 19 men on board, were to sail by Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Varah’ in Indian territorial waters on March 5, about seven nautical miles from Mintoy was stopped. In a suspicious way.

A defense release stated that Coast Guard personnel were aboard the boats and preliminary investigation revealed that the occupants had used unauthorized communications equipment and were carrying narcotics.

He said that the boats have been brought to Vizinjam here on Sunday for detailed interrogation by all security agencies.

The captain of one of the seized ships confessed to receiving 200 kg of heroin and 60 kg of hash from a Pakistani boat about 400 nm west of Lakshadweep. All these substances were packaged in five packets and dumped on the ship when the Coast Guard was sighted.

When Sri Lankan boats spotted the Coast Guard aircraft and the ship, a boat captain approached the main operator using the Thuraya communication set and was advised to flee.

But, the captain explained that as it was not possible and he threw the Thuraya communication set and all the bags into the water, the release was added.