Indian Coast Guard Apprehends Suspicious foreign Boat with Contrabands
The successful operation underscores the ICG’s sustained vigilance against smuggling and other unlawful activities at sea.
Indian Coast Guard Ship whilst deployed on forward area patrol in North Arabian Sea under the Area of Responsibility of #CoastGuard Region (North West), sighted a foreign boat inside Indian EEZ, approx 115nm West from Dwarka. The movement pattern of the boat was found suspicious and the ship proceeded to investigate the boat. On sighting ICG ship, the boat attempted to flee towards IMBL however it was intercepted and stopped by ICG ship.
The boat, identified as Al Mukhtar (though transmitting a different name on AIS) was boarded by ICG team and found to be manned by four crew.
On 21 Feb 26, @IndiaCoastGuard ship intercepted a suspicious foreign boat inside the #Indian #EEZ, approximately 115 NM west of #Dwarka. The vessel, identified as Al Mukhtar, was manned by four #Iranian crew. On rummaging, 200 cartons containing about one lakh packets of foreign… pic.twitter.com/ogALfIKFIp
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) February 22, 2026
Interrogation revealed that all the four crew were Iranian and the boat was registered at Colombo, Sri Lanka. However, the crew was unable to produce valid documentation and provide any satisfactory explanation for their presence in Indian waters. On further investigation and rummaging, 200 cartons containing about 1 lac cigarette packets were found hidden in the holds onboard.
The international market value of the consignment is estimated to be ₹2.5–5 crore, however, the exact valuation will be subject to verification and assessment by concerned authorities.
The boat was also found to be carrying one Thuraya set which is banned in India and 08 mobile phones, including 04 phones with internet connectivity. The boat is being escorted to Porbandar for further investigations.This is the second successive seizure by Indian Coast Guard in past week. It may be recalled that recently in a joint operation with Gujarat ATS on 16 Feb, Indian Coast Guard has apprehended a speed boat with 02 Iranian crew and 203 kg of suspected narcotics substance.
Summary
The Indian Coast Guard remains committed to ensuring the safety, security, and integrity of India’s maritime zones. The successful operation underscores the ICG’s sustained vigilance against smuggling and other unlawful activities at sea. Further investigation is underway in coordination with relevant law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
