Rs 1,150 Crore Cocaine Seized Off Mundra Coast, Foreign Nationals Detained, Brazil Link Suspected

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) have seized 115 kg of cocaine worth around Rs 1,150 crore from a container vessel off the Mundra coast , in a major coordinated maritime anti-narcotics operation that has now widened into an international smuggling probe involving multiple foreign nationals and suspected transcontinental trafficking routes.

The operation was conducted on the intervening night of May 25 and 26, following specific intelligence inputs from ATS Gujarat about drug trafficking through maritime channels, officials said.

During a search operation in the Mundra anchorage area , interceptor boats carrying ATS personnel identified suspicious activity aboard a container vessel named MV Europe , anchored around five nautical miles offshore.

Officials said the team noticed multiple bags being thrown overboard during the night. Acting swiftly, personnel recovered the consignment from the sea despite low visibility conditions .

The recovered material consisted of 115 packets of white powder , each weighing approximately one kilogram, which was later confirmed through preliminary testing to be cocaine.

According to updated investigative inputs, agencies are now probing a larger international smuggling network , with preliminary findings suggesting the consignment may have originated from South American routes, including Brazil , and could have been routed through multiple transit points before reaching Indian waters.

Reports also indicate that the shipment was allegedly intended for delivery to foreign nationals based in India , with investigators questioning multiple suspects and detaining at least three foreign nationals in connection with the broader network.

The vessel has been moved to port for detailed examination, while joint investigations by the ICG, ATS Gujarat and central agencies are underway to trace the supply chain, logistics handlers, and final recipients.

Officials also confirmed that this marks the 15th successful joint anti-narcotics operation conducted by the ICG and ATS Gujarat in the last five years, underscoring intensified surveillance along India’s western maritime corridor.

The probe is ongoing, with agencies now treating the seizure as part of a transnational narcotics trafficking syndicate investigation rather than a standalone interception.