Indian Coast Guard seizes 3 Sri Lankan boats laden with drugs off Kerala coast

Three Sri Lankan boats carrying nearly 300 kg of narcotic drugs were seized by the Indian Coast Guard off Kerala’s Vizinjam coast and 12 people were detained on Sunday, a senior official said.

Two hundred kg of cocaine, 60 kg of hashish and some equipment were seized from the boats registered in Sri Lanka, a senior official of the Coast Guard said. He said details will be known only after questioning the detained people, Hindusthan Times reported.

The Coast Guard did not immediately reveal the market value of the seized drugs.

According to initial reports large quantities of drugs were dumped into the sea when the Coast Guard encircled the three boats. The boats carried 19 people and seven of them jumped into the sea and a search was on with the help of local fishermen to locate them.

Preliminary reports suggest these vessels were bound for Karnataka and Goa coasts. Later all three vessels were brought to Vizinjam.

A spokesman of the Coast Guard said details will be released later after questioning the detained in detail. He said officials of the Intelligence Bureau and other central agencies will also question the detained, suspected to be members of a global drug racket.