INDIAN Navy’s frontline frigate INS Tarkash has seized over 2,500 kgs of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean, officials said on Wednesday. The operation was launched after the Navy received inputs on March 31 on suspicious movements of some vessels, they said. After systematically interrogating all suspicious vessels in the vicinity, INS Tarkash intercepted and boarded a suspect dhow, owing to the coordinated efforts with the P8I marine surveillance aircraft and the Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai, a Navy spokesperson said.

 

Additionally, the ship launched its integral helicopter to monitor the activities of the suspicious vessel and identify other vessels likely operating in the area, he said. A specialist boarding team, along with Marine Commandos, boarded the suspect vessel and conducted a thorough search, leading to the discovery of various sealed packets, he said. Further search and interrogation revealed over 2,500 kgs of narcotic substances stored in different cargo holds and compartments onboard the vessel, he said.