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2 Iranians held, 203 kg chemicals seized as ATS intercepts boat near Porbandar
Gujarat ATS, Indian Coast Guard intercept Iranian speedboat near IMBL; 203 packets seized and two Iranian nationals arrested, probe underway
Ahmedabad: Two Iranian nationals were arrested and over 200 kg of a suspected illegal chemical substance was seized after the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) intercepted an Iranian speedboat near the International Maritime Boundary Line, about 140 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast, police said on Tuesday.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of ATS K K Patel received specific intelligence that an Iranian drug smuggler, identified as Haji Fida, had dispatched a consignment from Iran’s Konarak Port for a mid-sea transfer to an Indian vessel, with Punjab as the final destination.
“Based on the input that the consignment would arrive in Indian waters between February 15 and 16, a planned operation was carried out in coordination with other agencies,” a senior Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad official said.
The intelligence was shared with the Indian Coast Guard, which joined the operation, and teams were positioned at Porbandar.
On Monday night, around 8 pm, the joint team intercepted a suspicious Iranian speedboat within Indian waters. Two Iranian nationals — Abdul Majid and Abdul Sattar — both residents of Chabahar in Iran’s Konarak, were detained, according to officials.
Following a search of the vessel, 203 packets of a suspected chemical substance weighing about 203 kg were recovered.
The boat and the seized material were brought to the Coast Guard station at Porbandar along with the two accused. “The substance seized has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis and legal proceedings have been registered,” the ATS official said.
