Sri Lankan boat with 100-kg heroin and six crew members apprehended

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The Indian Coast Guard has spotted and apprehended a Sri Lankan boat with 100 kg heroin, 20 small packets of synthetic drugs, five pistols on high seas off Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.Initial investigation reveals that the drugs were transferred to the Sri Lankan boat from a Pakistani dhow from Karachi.It was Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship Vaibhav that apprehended the Sri Lankan boat. The coast guard personnel also apprehended six crew members of the Sri Lankan boat."Joint interrogation of crew and vessel by all security agencies is in progress," the Indian Coast Guard said in a statement.The anti-smuggling operation went on despite rough sea conditions for more than nine days.ICG Ship Vaibhav, Vikram, Samar, Abhivav and Aadesh and Coast Guard Dornier aircraft were carrying out anti-smuggling operations since November 17.
--IANS sk/ash