CHENNAI: The Indian Navy intercepted two boats smuggling 500 kg of crystal meth (an addictive drug) via the Arabian Sea and secured nine men in a coordinated operation with the Sri Lankan Navy.
The mid-sea operation lasted two days, beginning on Nov 24, after the Indian Navy received information from the Sri Lankan Navy about two Sri Lankan-flagged fishing vessels carrying narcotics in the Arabian Sea.
The Indian Navy swung into action and deployed a long-range maritime patrol aircraft and a remotely piloted aircraft for surveillance to identify the boats. A naval ship was deployed to augment the efforts.
Based on inputs from the Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram and the Indian Navy, the aircraft located the boats. A team from the naval ship boarded the boats. While 500 kg of crystal meth was seized, nine men and the boats were also rounded up and secured.
The nine men, the seized narcotics and the two boats were handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy for further investigation.