Bengal: Coast Guard foils arms smuggling bid near IMBL
Kolkata, July 23
In an operation against trans‑border maritime crime, the Indian Coast Guard has intercepted and apprehended a fishing boat along with its four Indian crew for their alleged involvement in the illegal trans‑border trafficking of arms and ammunition near the Indo‑Bangladesh International Maritime Boundary Line.
The Indian Coast Guard said this in a statement on Thursday. The operation was conducted on Wednesday.
According to the statement, acting on specific intelligence shared by Central Intelligence Agency, the Indian Coast Guard launched a meticulously planned search operation off IMBL. The operation was executed in close coordination with the Sunderbans Forest Department and intelligence agencies.
The suspected boat departed from Jharkhali creek in South 24 Parganas district early Wednesday morning. The Coast Guard team undertook an intensive search in the area to identify and intercept the suspicious fishing vessel. After intercepting the fishing boat, a cache of illegally concealed arms and ammunition supposedly destined for Bangladesh was recovered. The timely apprehension of the boat thwarted the trans‑border gun‑running attempt by smugglers.
The statement noted that the success of the operation underscored the exceptional synergy and seamless coordination among the Indian Coast Guard, the Central Intelligence Agencies and field units of the Forest Department. It added that the timely exchange of intelligence and coordinated operational response were instrumental in ensuring the successful interception of the fishing boat and seizure of the illicit consignment.
Subsequently, the apprehended fishing boat along with its four crew members and the recovered arms and ammunition were handed over to the West Bengal Marine Police station in Sunderbans for detailed investigation and further legal proceedings.
The statement further said that the successful interdiction reaffirmed the Indian Coast Guard's unwavering commitment towards safeguarding India's maritime frontiers against trans‑border threats, including arms trafficking and smuggling of contraband.
It added that the force remains steadfast in its mission to ensure robust coastal and maritime security through enhanced surveillance, intelligence‑driven operations and close inter‑agency collaboration, thereby protecting the nation's sovereignty and maritime interests.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some action! These smuggling rings have been active for years. Hope the investigation leads to the masterminds behind this operation 🙏
Good, but why only 4 crew? Usually these boats have larger teams. Possibly more involved. Also, how did they get weapons from Jharkhali? Local nexus needs deeper probe.
Proud moment for India! 👏 Coast Guard and intelligence agencies working together is the need of the hour. But the border security in Sunderbans remains a big challenge due to the terrain.
I'm glad this was foiled, but let's not pretend this is isolated. There are multiple such routes through riverine borders. The forest department should also be held more accountable for allowing boats to leave from their jurisdiction.
Good coordination. Kudos to all agencies. But what about the demand side? These arms were destined for Bangladesh—why not share intel with them? Regional cooperation against smuggling is essential.
Every fish trader in Sunderbans knows about this. Glad the agencies finally acted. But these poor fishermen are often used as pawns by big smugglers. Hope the legal process gives them fair treatment while catching the real culprits.
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