Gujarat ATS, Coast Guard seize 203 kg of suspected chemicals off Porbandar, 2 Iranians held

In a joint operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard have intercepted an Iranian speedboat in Indian waters off the Porbandar coast and seized 203 kg of suspected chemical substances. Two Iranian nationals on board the vessel have been arrested.

According to officials of the Gujarat ATS, Superintendent of Police K K Patel received specific intelligence indicating that an Iranian smuggler, identified as Haji Fida, had loaded around 200 kg of suspected chemicals onto a boat at Konarak port in Iran between February 15 and 16. The consignment was allegedly intended to be transferred to an Indian vessel near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), approximately 140 nautical miles off Porbandar, and subsequently transported to Punjab.

Acting on the tip-off, and under the supervision of senior ATS officers, a team was dispatched to Porbandar. The intelligence was simultaneously shared with the Indian Coast Guard, and a joint interception plan was drawn up.

Around 8 am on February 16, the joint team intercepted a suspected Iranian speedboat within Indian waters near the IMBL, about 140 nautical miles from Porbandar. Two Iranian nationals were apprehended on board. They have been identified as Abdul Majid, son of Ismail, and Abdul Sattar, son of Kader Bakhsh — both residents of Chabahar, Konarak, in Iran.

Officials said 203 packets were recovered from the vessel, containing approximately 203 kg of a suspicious chemical substance. The speedboat and the seized material were escorted to the Coast Guard station in Porbandar.

Samples of the recovered substance have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis to ascertain its exact nature. Legal proceedings have been initiated under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and other applicable laws.

Further investigation is under way to determine the intended recipients of the consignment in India and to identify other persons involved in the alleged smuggling network.