Indian Navy’s INS Talwar seizes 940 kg of narcotics in Arabian Sea operation
The drugs were seized by Indian Navy's MARCOs commandos.
The Indian Navy said Tuesday (Apr 16) it intercepted a suspicious vessel in the Western Arabian Sea on April 13 and seized 940 kg of contraband narcotics from it. The navy’s elite Marine Commandoes (MARCOS) aboard warship INS Talwar conducted the operation ‘'Crimson Barracuda' and carried out the seizure, a spokesperson of the Indian Navy said.
According to media reports, it is for the first time that the Indian Navy, a member of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), has conducted a "drug interdiction".
The CMF in a statement said, “INS Talwar, operating in support of the Canadian-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, conducted its first interdiction of illicit narcotics as a member of CMF, seizing 940 kg of drugs in the Arabian Sea.”
About Combined Maritime Forces
The CMF is a 42-nation naval group, which aims to uphold international rule-based order in the international waters. The group’s primary responsibility is to secure and stabilise 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world's most important shipping lanes.
Speaking of the Western Arabian Sea, it’s an important shipping route for oil tankers coming from Gulf nations.
The spokesperson of the Indian Navy said the drugs are being disposed off as per regulations.
"Indian Naval ship INS Talwar, mission deployed in Western Arabian Sea for maritime security operations, as part of combined task force led operation Crimson Barracuda successfully apprehended a suspicious dhow on April 13," the spokesperson said.
"The ship's specialist boarding teams and MARCOs seized 940 kgs of contraband narcotics. The drugs are being disposed off as per standard operating procedures," he said.
The Navy got support from CTF 150
The Indian Navy carried out the operation with assistance from CTF 150, one of the five task forces under CMF.
CTF 150’s responsibility is to prevent non-state actors in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman from moving, and transporting illicit substances such as drugs and weapons.
Royal Canadian Navy's Capt. Colin Matthews lauded the efforts of the Indian crew in a statement.
"I commend the crew of INS Talwar for their efforts throughout this Focused Operation and their hard work has paid off with this seizure of 940 kg of drugs," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)