This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
New Delhi • Indian coast guard authorities say they have seized a large amount of heroin from a ship off the country's western coast.
The 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds) of narcotics was estimated to be worth millions of dollars, the agency said Sunday.
The ship was seized on Saturday.
Coast guard authorities said it was the country's biggest seizure of narcotics in recent years, the Press Trust of India reported.
The vessel had eight crew members and was heading for Alang shipyard in Gujarat state, the agency said. The crew was detained for questioning.
India lies on a lucrative drug-smuggling route because nearby Afghanistan is a major producer of opium, the main ingredient of heroin.
Details on where the heroin originated and who was involved in the smuggling were not immediately available. A joint investigation by the Indian coast guard, intelligence agencies, police and navy was underway.