Huge international drug bust: Cocaine worth ₹1,150 Cr seized off Gujarat coast; 3 foreigners held

Ahmedabad (Gujarat): In a major maritime crackdown, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard have dismantled an international narcotics trafficking network, seizing 115 kg of high-grade cocaine valued at approximately ₹1,150 crore from a cargo vessel intercepted off Mundra port. Three foreign nationals have been taken into custody, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The global trafficking route

The contraband followed a complex global route, moving through Latin America, Mexico, the United States and Karachi, Pakistan, before the vessel named 'Europe' anchored near Kutch district in Gujarat, State Director General of Police KLN Rao revealed during a press briefing. According to the ATS, one of the accused confessed that the narcotics were loaded in Brazil in November last year and secretly hidden inside the ship's motor room without the knowledge of the remaining crew.

Midnight interception and high seas drama

The joint operation was executed following precise intelligence inputs. In the early hours of 26 May, security forces intercepted the vessel at the outer anchorage. As enforcement teams closed in, two crew members attempted to discard the evidence by throwing heavy bags into the sea. Despite poor visibility, officials successfully recovered five floating bags, though one bag remains missing. Initial testing confirmed the substance to be cocaine, packed into 115 individual one-kilogram bricks.

High-tech tracking devices found

Authorities also discovered four Apple AirTags, GPS tracking units, and satellite communication devices hidden inside the bags and the steering room, indicating that the multi-crore shipment was being electronically monitored in real time during transit.

Arrests and ongoing manhunt

While a Tanzanian national, Juma Nasir Omar, was detained directly from the ship, a coordinated raid with the Delhi Police in the capital's Dwarka area led to the arrest of two intended receivers: Nigerian national Kelvin Chukwuama and Ugandan national Bairunge James. A massive search operation is currently underway to locate another suspect, Tanzanian national Ngingite Nassoro Jumanne, who plunged into the sea to evade capture as authorities boarded the vessel.

An investigation under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is actively ongoing to determine the final destination of the cartel's shipment.

PTI