Pakistan Navy seizes more than 2,800 kg of narcotics worth $750 million in Arabian Sea
By The South Asia Times
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Navy ships HUNAIN and YARMOOK have seized more than 2,800 kilograms of narcotics with an estimated value of $750 million during a joint counter-narcotics operation in the Arabian Sea, Pakistan's military said Saturday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the naval vessels were conducting a routine patrol when they intercepted a suspicious boat in the Arabian Sea.
A boarding team searched the vessel and discovered narcotics concealed in compartments on board, the military said. The drugs were subsequently seized during the operation.
The operation represents one of the latest maritime interdiction efforts by Pakistan's armed forces aimed at disrupting the trafficking of illegal narcotics through the country's maritime approaches.
Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Pakistan's Chief of the Naval Staff, commended the officers and crew of HUNAIN and YARMOOK for what he described as their professionalism and vigilance during the operation.
He reaffirmed the Pakistan Navy's commitment to maintaining maritime security and combating illicit trafficking at sea.
The Arabian Sea is a major maritime corridor linking the Middle East, South Asia and international shipping routes. Its waters are also used by international maritime security and counter-narcotics operations targeting illicit trafficking networks.
Pakistan has regularly participated in maritime interdiction operations with regional and international partners as part of broader efforts to prevent the movement of narcotics and other illicit cargo through the Indian Ocean region.
