Ahmedabad: A local court in Ahmedabad on Thursday granted the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) custody of five Pakistani nationals arrested in connection with the seizure of 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea, allowing investigators to interrogate them until October 13.
The five accused were produced before an Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court after their arrest, and the court granted 12 days of ATS remand.
Investigators are expected to question them about the source of the drugs, their links with the international trafficking network and the intended receivers of the consignment in India.
The accused have been identified as Mohammad Yaqub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan and Wahidullah Khan, all residents of Peshawar in Pakistan.
The case relates to the interception of the Iranian boat ‘Azad’ in Indian waters west of Lakshadweep on September 25.
The vessel was carrying around 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin, with the drugs estimated by authorities to be worth more than Rs 3,000 crore in the international market.
Authorities later brought the boat and the accused to Mumbai under security for further investigation.
The operation followed intelligence the Gujarat ATS received on September 10 about a meeting in Ahmedabad involving a Nigerian national and an associate of a wanted accused.
According to the ATS, the intelligence indicated that a consignment of more than 500 kg of narcotics was being sent from Iran and was to be transferred to a Tamil Nadu-based boat in Indian waters.
Investigators have also been examining the alleged role of Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haji Salim and his network.
The ATS has said the consignment was intended to reach Tamil Nadu before being transported towards Punjab, where it was to be delivered to a Nigerian receiver.
The wider network and the intended recipients remain under investigation. The investigation has also highlighted the use of Starlink-equipped communications.
According to Gujarat ATS officials, the boat had a Starlink device that could provide internet connectivity in international waters, allowing communication with handlers during the maritime journey.
The ATS and Indian Coast Guard had conducted surveillance over several days before locating and intercepting the ‘Azad’.
The operation involved Gujarat ATS officers joining Coast Guard personnel at sea after central agencies shared the intelligence.
The Union Home Ministry said the operation lasted 16 days and involved coordination between the Gujarat ATS, Coast Guard and central intelligence agencies.
The ATS is now expected to use the remand period to establish the precise roles of the five accused, trace the network’s Pakistani and Indian links, and identify others involved in arranging the consignment and its planned delivery in India.
Further investigation is underway.
(IANS)
