AHMEDABAD: The alertness of Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies following two big drug seizures in the Arabian Sea, including the seizure of 290 kg of heroin in August and another 600 kg of heroin on September 1 forced the drug peddlers to keep the boat with 30 kg of heroin in mid-sea.
The drug peddlers — two Iranians Imam Bakhsh and Khan Sahab and Ghulam from Pakistan — reportedly told the seven Iranian crew members not to move towards Sri Lanka as there was some problem. “A man named Ali Mohammed was supposed to take the heroin from these seven crew members at sea somewhere near Kochi.
He was equipped with a boat with a Sri Lankan flag and after receiving the drugs, he was to proceed to Sri Lanka,” said an ATS officer. The officer said that the Sri Lankan Navy would open fire if the man did not have the Sri Lankan flag. “Even after this arrangement, they had feared that Ali Mohammed’s ship would also be caught by Sri Lankan agencies as they were alert after the two big seizures,” said the officer. “The seven crew members were told to share their latitude and longitude with Ali Mohammed when they reached Kochi. After which, Ali Mohammed was supposed to come there to receive the drugs,” he said. The ATS officer said that the seven crew members were told to stay in sea until further orders. “They were trying to get some safe space in Maharashtra and Gujarat to land. Later, the drug was supposed to be sent to Punjab”, he said. – Times Of India