Indian Coast Guard, DRI Bust ₹33 Crore Hashish Oil Smuggling Operation At Sea

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have intercepted a vessel heading towards the Maldives. They seized 29.954 kg of Hashish Oil worth ₹33 crore.

Three individuals involved in the smuggling attempt were arrested.

Officials revealed that the DRI had gathered intelligence about a tugboat, towing a barge filled with rock boulders, which had departed from Tuticorin Old Port.

It was found that a smuggling gang based in Tuticorin had arranged to load Hashish oil onto the barge mid-sea with the help of a crew member. The vessel was tracked as it made its way toward the Maldives.

Acting on this information, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the vessel on March 5, 2025 off the Kanyakumari coast.

The vessel was escorted back to Tuticorin New Port by March 7, 2025. The person responsible for placing the drugs on the vessel and his accomplice were taken into custody.

The crew member who had helped the gang by sharing the vessel’s location was also arrested once the vessel reached the port. A thorough search of the barge led to the discovery of two bags containing 29 plastic packets.

The packets, which had food-related descriptions printed on them, were opened for examination. Inside, officials found a black-coloured liquid paste-like substance.

A field test confirmed that it was Hashish Oil.

The seized drugs, weighing a total of 29.954 kg, were valued at ₹32.94 crore in the illegal international market. The contraband was confiscated under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The arrested individuals were presented before the court and remanded to judicial custody on March 8, 2025.

Reference: PIB

Source: Maritime Shipping News