Ahmedabad, June 2 (IANS) Investigators probing one of India’s largest recent maritime cocaine seizures have uncovered concealed electronic tracking devices embedded within the narcotics consignment, a development that Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials say points to the involvement of a sophisticated international drug trafficking network.
The latest breakthrough came during the sampling and seizure process of the cocaine under Section 52A of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the presence of a judicial magistrate.
According to ATS officials, four Apple AirTags and two Garmin GPS devices were found hidden inside the brick-shaped packets of cocaine.
Investigators believe the devices were used by the supplier to monitor the consignment’s movement during its journey.
The discovery forms part of the ongoing investigation, which relates to the seizure of nearly 119 kg of cocaine off the Mundra coast in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
The seizure originated from a joint operation carried out by the Gujarat ATS and the Indian Coast Guard in the early hours of May 26.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the agencies intercepted suspicious activity involving the cargo vessel ‘MV Europe’ near Mundra’s outer anchorage area. During the operation, several bags were allegedly thrown overboard from the vessel.
Five floating bags were subsequently recovered and found to contain 115 packets of cocaine weighing approximately 118.977 kg.
The contraband has been valued at around Rs 1,150 crore in the international market. Investigators have alleged that the cocaine originated in Brazil and was being transported through international maritime routes before reaching Indian waters.
ATS officials have previously stated that intelligence suggested approximately 150 kg of cocaine had been concealed aboard the vessel and was to be transferred off the Gujarat coast.
According to the ATS, Tanzanian national Juma Nasir Omar, a crew member aboard the vessel, was arrested during the operation.
During questioning, he allegedly told investigators that the cocaine had been hidden in the ship’s motor room in November 2025 on the instructions of handlers linked to an international trafficking network.
Another Tanzanian crew member, Ngingite Nassoro Jumanne, allegedly jumped into the sea during the operation and remains untraced.
The ATS has also detained two suspected receivers of the consignment from Delhi with the assistance of local police. Investigators are examining the role of all the accused and their alleged links to international narcotics syndicates.
Officials said forensic analysis of the recovered AirTags and GPS devices is underway.
Data extracted from the trackers is expected to assist investigators in reconstructing the shipment’s route, identifying locations where it was handled, and uncovering additional individuals involved in the trafficking chain. The investigation remains ongoing.
–IANS
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