India: Meth seized from Myanmarese boat costs more than aircraft carrier Vikrant, built at a cost of $2.49bn

Recent incidents of Myanmarese/Rohingya fishing vessels poaching in the Andaman seas, within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone, have led to increased surveillance by Indian agencies.

This heightened vigil off India's eastern archipelago is what led to the country's biggest drug haul - 5.5 tonnes (5,500kg) of the synthetic narcotic substance Methamphetamine from a Myanmarese fishing boat "Soe Wai Yan Htoo".

This massive drug haul by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), dwarfs all others that preceded it. Typically, the ICG seizes between 1 and 1.5 tonnes of drugs (of various types) in an entire year.

In this case, in a single day, in a single operation, more than 5.5 tonnes of Meth was seized from a single boat.

As per conservative estimates, the Meth is valued at ₹5 crore/kg, which puts the latest seizure value at ₹27,500 crore. For perspective, this sum is more than the cost of the Indian indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, which is the biggest and most sophisticated surface warship built in India. ₹27,000crore is also more than twice the annual budget of the Indian Space Agency ISRO (which hovers around ₹12,500crore a year). Some estimates say that Meth costs ₹10 crore/kg or more.

According to the Indian Coast Guard, the Andaman Seas were kept under strict surveillance owing to recent inputs from the joint interrogation of an apprehended poacher.

The now apprehended Myanmarese boat was first spotted by the ICG's Dornier-228 maritime patrol aircraft. The foreign-origin boat was seen operating in a suspicious manner, following which the information was passed on to the Joint Operation Centre (JOC), which subsequently deployed an ICG Fast Patrol Vessel, ICG Ship Aruna Asaf Ali from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) to intercept the suspicious Myanmarese boat.

Despite the stormy conditions caused by the weather system in the Bay of Bengal, the ICG ship braved rough sea conditions and proceeded to intercept the suspicious Myanmarese boat. The ICG ship shadowed the vessel for several hours, till early morning Sunday, 24th November.

At the opportune moment, the team from ICG Ship Aruna Asaf Ali boarded the suspicious Myanmarese boat for investigation. The boat was eight nautical miles (approx 15kms) off Barren Island in Indian Territorial waters when the joint interrogation was carried out around 6:30 am IST, Sunday.

Subsequently, the six-member boat crew were identified as Myanmarese nationals. During rummaging of the boat, the boarding party detected a massive quantity of a white crystalline compound and one portable Inmarsat Satellite phone. The white crystalline compound was anticipated to be contraband, and hence the boat was apprehended.

Thereafter, the boat was brought to Sri Vijaya Puram for further investigation. ICG Ship Aruna Asaf Ali, along with the apprehended boat, entered Sri Vijaya Puram at 5 am on Monday, 25th November.

This operation represents a monumental success in India's fight against illegal drug trafficking and poaching in national waters. The seizure is the largest-ever drug haul by the Indian Coast Guard in maritime history, highlighting the growing threat of transnational maritime narcotics trade.