Pakistan Navy seizes narcotics worth $750m in major Arabian Sea operation | The Express Tribune

Pakistan Navy ships HUNAIN and YARMOOK have seized more than 2,800 kilogrammes of narcotics, valued at approximately $750 million, during a joint counter-narcotics operation in the Arabian Sea, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday.

According to the military’s media wing, the ships were conducting a routine patrol when they intercepted a suspicious boat. A boarding operation was subsequently carried out, during which narcotics were recovered from “concealed compartments,” it said.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the officers and crew for their “professionalism and vigilance”, ISPR said.

The naval chief also reaffirmed Pakistan Navy’s commitment to maritime security and combating illicit trafficking at sea, according to the statement.

President Asif Ali Zardari has praised Pakistan Navy personnel for their successful counter-narcotics operation in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement.

The president commended the professionalism and vigilance of the officers and crew of Pakistan Navy ships HUNAIN and YARMOOK after they seized more than 2,800 kilogrammes of narcotics during a joint operation in the Arabian Sea.

He also praised the Navy’s commitment to preventing illegal activities in maritime areas and safeguarding maritime security.

“Pakistan Navy is playing a valuable role in protecting the country’s maritime boundaries and sea routes,” he said. The president added that “Pakistan is committed to promoting peace and security and curbing illegal activities.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised the Pakistan Navy for recovering more than 2,800 kilogrammes of narcotics during an operation in the Arabian Sea, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday.

The prime minister congratulated the Navy’s officers and personnel on the successful operation and praised their “professionalism, vigilance and surveillance”.

“Pakistan Navy’s operations against drug trafficking are commendable,” he said, adding that the Navy plays an important role in protecting Pakistan’s maritime boundaries and preventing illegal trafficking through the sea.

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Earlier on Wednesday, the Pakistan Navy and Coast Guard, in coordination with the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre (JMICC), confiscated “a sizeable quantity” of liquor and illegal medicines in the Pishukan area of Balochistan, ISPR said.

According to the ISPR, the joint intelligence-based operation “thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large cache of contraband items” in the area. The operation was carried out on “actionable intelligence,” the ISPR said, adding that the “seized contraband items have been handed over to the Pakistan Coast Guard for further legal proceedings.”

The military’s media wing noted that the “successful joint operation underscores the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination in countering smuggling while highlighting the resolve of the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guard to prevent the use of Pakistani waters and land for illicit activities.”