Pakistan Navy seizes narcotics worth $750m in major Arabian Sea operation

Pakistan Navy ships HUNAIN and YARMOOK have seized more than 2,800 kilogrammes of narcotics, valued at approximately $750 million, during a joint counter-narcotics operation in the Arabian Sea, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. According to the military's media wing, the ships were conducting a routine patrol when they intercepted a suspicious boat. A boarding operation was subsequently carried out, during which narcotics were recovered from "concealed compartments," it said. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the officers and crew for their "professionalism and vigilance", ISPR said. The naval chief also reaffirmed Pakistan Navy's commitment to maritime security and combating illicit trafficking at sea, according to the statement. Read: Drug margins put under scrutiny Earlier on Wednesday, the Pakistan Navy and Coast Guard, in coordination with the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC), confiscated "a sizeable quantity" of liquor and illegal medicines in the Pishukan area of Balochistan, ISPR said. According to the ISPR, the joint intelligence-based operation "thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large cache of contraband items" in the area. The operation was carried out on "actionable intelligence," the ISPR said, adding that the "seized contraband items have been handed over to the Pakistan Coast Guard for further legal proceedings." The military's media wing noted that the "successful joint operation underscores the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination in countering smuggling while highlighting the resolve of the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guard to prevent the use of Pakistani waters and land for illicit activities."