Mumbai: Indian Coast Guard seizes fishing vessel with 30,000 litres of illicit diesel, Rs 1.75 Lakh cash recovered

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Acting on intelligence provided by Customs authorities, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) executed an operation resulting in the interception of the fishing vessel "Aai Tuljai" and its crew, 27 nautical miles southwest of Mumbai, on May 12, reported news agency ANI.

ICG said that the vessel was apprehended for its involvement in a nefarious scheme of illegal diesel smuggling. Indian Coast Guard recovered 30,000 litres of illicit diesel, with an estimated value of Rs 30 lakhs which was concealed within its fish holds. A sum of Rs 1.75 lakh in unaccounted cash was also seized.

In a post on X, Indian Coast Guard said, "Indian Coast Guard Ship intercepted and apprehended a fishing boat Aai Tuljai (IND-MH-7-MM-296) with 4 crew engaged in illegal diesel smuggling 30 Nm off Mumbai, Maharashtra Coast, on May 12 24. Approximately 30,000 litres of unauthorised Diesel alongwith Rs 1.75 lakh cash and other accessories were seized onboard. ICG action demonstrated it's resolve towards curbing illegal activities at sea. The boat and crew were brought to #Mumbai for further investigation."

The vessel, manned by a crew of four individuals, hails from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Rewas, Maharashtra. The apprehended vessel was escorted under the vigilant watch of an ICG Interceptor Boat to the Mumbai harbour, where it was handed over to the authorities of the Department of Customs for further interrogation and legal proceedings, reported ANI.

Further investigation is underway.

Earlier, last month, the Indian Coast Guard carried out an intelligence-based anti-narcotics operation and seized narcotics worth Rs 600 crore from a Pakistani boat named 'Al-Raza' and apprehended 14 crew members who belonged to Balochistan, the ANI reported.

The narcotics weighed around 86 kg and amounted to around Rs 600 crore. Ahmedabad DGP Gujarat Vikas Sahay said that the consignment was not for India but Sri Lanka and all 14 crew members were residents of Balochistan, Pakistan.

In a well-coordinated sea operation, the Pakistani boat along with its 14 crew members have been apprehended, and is being brought to Porbandar, Gujarat for further investigations, the Indian Coast Guard said in a statement, as per the ANI.

"That consignment was not for India but Sri Lanka. I am happy and proud that such has been the network of ATS that even the receiver is not an Indian, and only if our waters are being used, we get the exact information... 14 people were present on the Pakistani fishing boat, Al-Raza, all are resident of Balochistan, Pakistan," the DGP told reporters, as per the ANI.

"After detaining them, a search and seizure of the Al-Raza boat were conducted as per the procedure in which we recovered 78 packets weighing around 86 kg and worth Rs 602 crore in the international market," he added, the news agency reported on Sunday.

"The operation was an epitome of inter-agency coordination, wherein the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) collaborated seamlessly which culminated in the successful operation," the statement read.

The ships and aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard were deployed on concurrent missions to effect the operation.

(With inputs from ANI)