ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy on Monday said it seized drugs worth Rs59.7 billion ($215 million) in a joint intelligence-based counternarcotics operation near the Gwadar coastline in the southwestern Balochistan province.
The operation, conducted jointly by the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) in the Pishukan town located on the western shore of Gwadar West Bay, resulted in the seizure of 1,500kg of hashish and 500kg of methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.”
The Pakistan Navy plays an active role in maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea by intercepting illegal drug shipments. It frequently collaborates with international task forces to disrupt smuggling routes used for narcotics trafficking.
“The value of seized consignment is approximately USD 215 Million in the international market,” the navy said in a statement.
“The consignment was being transported via Arabian Sea to international destinations.”
It added that the seized narcotics were handed over to the Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) for further legal proceedings.
The statement said the operation underscored effective inter-agency coordination in countering smuggling and the Pakistan Navy’s resolve to prevent the use of the sea for illicit activities.
These actions are part of Pakistan Navy’s efforts to curb drug trafficking along the country’s coastline and disrupt criminal networks moving drugs across South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.
In October last year, a Pakistan Navy ship operating under a Saudi-led multinational task force seized narcotics worth nearly (Rs271 billion) $972 million in the North Arabian Sea.
