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<strong>The Indian Navy seized a Pakistani fishing boat with contraband worth approximately Rs 3,000 crore in the Arabian Sea on Monday.</strong></p>
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The fishing boat with contraband was coming from Pakistan&#39;s Makran Coastal region and initial probe reveals that the contraband was meant to fund terror activities in India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.<br />
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The Indian Navy said that the boat with its crew has been escorted to the nearest port in Kochi for further investigation.<br />
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A total of five crew members, all hailing from Sri Lanka, have been apprehended and the fishing boat along with the contraband has been seized.<br />
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Indian Naval ship Suvarna, on surveillance patrol in the Arabian Sea, encountered a fishing vessel with suspicious movements.<br />
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To investigate the vessel, the ship&#39;s team conducted a boarding and search operation, which led to the seizure of more than 300 kg of narcotics substances.<br />
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&quot;The approximate cost of the catch in the international market is estimated to be Rs 3000 crore,&quot; Commander Vivek Madhwal said.<br />
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The officer also said that it is a major catch not only in terms of the quantity and cost, but also from the perspective of disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes.<br />
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The officer explained that the smuggling routes emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards the Indian, Maldivian and Sri Lankan destinations.<br />
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&quot;Apart from the human costs from drug addiction, the spoils of the narcotics trade feed syndicates involved in terrorism, radicalisation and criminal activities,&quot; the officer said.<br />
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Similarly on April 15, eight Pakistan nationals were apprehended from mid sea off Gujarat coast for drug trafficking. The law enforcement agencies had seized 30 kg heroin from them.<br />
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The Indian Coast Guard, a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency, spotted a Pakistani boat PFB NUH with eight Pakistani nationals near the international maritime boundary line.<br />
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They were searched and 30 kg heroin were recovered from their boat.<br />
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The coast guard official said that it was a joint operation with Gujarat Police&#39;s anti-terrorism squad. It said that the ATS had information about the illegal consignment being smuggled into the state through the coastline.</p>
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<em>(IANS)</em></p>
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