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Gujarat: Coast guard seize foreign vessel with cigarette, satellite phone near Dwarka
Officials said the international market value of the seized consignment is estimated to be between ₹2.5 crore and ₹5 crore.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday intercepted a foreign vessel inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Arabian Sea, about 115 nautical miles west off Dwarka coast in Gujarat, and seized a large consignment of smuggled cigarettes along with prohibited communication equipment.
The vessel, identified as ‘Al Mukhtar’, was manned by four Iranian nationals, the ICG said. During a search of the boat, authorities recovered 200 cartons containing around one lakh packets of foreign-brand cigarettes concealed inside the vessel’s holds.
Officials said the international market value of the seized consignment is estimated to be between ₹2.5 crore and ₹5 crore.
In addition, a prohibited Thuraya satellite communication set and eight mobile phones were recovered, including four internet-enabled devices. Thuraya satellite phones are often used in unlawful maritime activities as they bypass conventional monitoring systems.
The vessel is being escorted to Porbandar port for further investigation and joint interrogation by relevant agencies and stakeholders, officials said.
The interception took place during routine maritime patrolling operations in the region. No injuries were reported during the operation.
In a post on X, the ICG said the interception was part of its ongoing efforts to maintain maritime security and curb smuggling activities in India’s sovereign waters.
Earlier this month, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with the Coast Guard, apprehended a speedboat carrying two Iranian nationals on February 16 and seized about 203kg of suspected illegal chemical substance in the Arabian Sea, nearly 140 nautical miles from Porbandar.
