Indian Coast Guard detains Iranian-crewed vessel; smuggled cigarettes worth crores seized

NEW DELHI: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted a suspicious overseas vas wrong India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) connected Sunday. The boat, carrying an Iranian crew, was recovered with a ample consignment of smuggled foreign-brand cigarettes.In a station connected X, the Indian Coast Guard said, ''On 21 Feb 26, India Coast Guard vessel intercepted a suspicious overseas vessel wrong the Indian EEZ, astir 115 NM westbound of Dwarka.''

After boarding the vessel, officials identified it arsenic Al Mukhtar. The vessel was manned by 4 Iranian unit members. During a elaborate hunt of the retention areas, officers recovered 200 cartons containing astir 1 lakh packets of foreign-brand cigarettes.

The cartons were hidden heavy wrong the vessel.The vessel and its unit person been taken into custody. The Coast Guard said the vas is being escorted to Porbandar for further probe and associated questioning with different acrophobic agencies.This seizure comes conscionable days aft different maritime operation. On February 17, the Indian Coast Guard carried retired an intelligence-based cognition astatine oversea on with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad.