The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted a suspicious foreign vessel inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the North Arabian Sea and detained four Iranian nationals after recovering a large consignment of foreign-brand cigarettes during a maritime operation off the Gujarat coast.
The interception took place on the morning of February 21 when an ICG ship conducting a forward area patrol under Coast Guard Region (North West) detected the vessel approximately 115 nautical miles west of Dwarka. Officials said the boat’s movement raised suspicion, prompting the Coast Guard to approach for inspection. On noticing the patrol vessel, the boat attempted to flee toward the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) but was quickly pursued and intercepted.
The vessel was identified as Al Mukhtar, although it was reportedly transmitting a different name through its Automatic Identification System (AIS), indicating possible identity masking. The boat was said to be registered in Colombo, Sri Lanka. A boarding team found four crew members on board, all identified as Iranian nationals. Authorities stated that the crew failed to produce valid documentation or provide a satisfactory explanation for their presence in Indian waters.
A detailed search of the vessel uncovered 200 cartons containing nearly one lakh packets of foreign-brand cigarettes concealed in cargo compartments. Officials estimated the international market value of the seized consignment to be between Rs 2.5 crore and Rs 5 crore, with the exact valuation to be determined following assessment.
During the operation, Coast Guard personnel also recovered a Thuraya satellite communication device — prohibited for civilian use in India — along with eight mobile phones, four of which were internet-enabled. Investigators suspect the equipment may have been used for covert communication during maritime movement.
The vessel is being escorted to Porbandar in Gujarat, where security agencies will conduct joint interrogation of the crew and carry out further investigation into possible smuggling or illegal maritime activity.
The seizure marks the second such operation by the Coast Guard within a week. On February 16, in coordination with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), authorities intercepted a speedboat carrying two Iranian crew members and seized over 200 kilograms of suspected narcotics off the Gujarat coast. Earlier this month, the Coast Guard also detained three US-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran near Mumbai after detecting suspicious movements involving AIS spoofing and false identity data.
Officials indicated that such operations form part of broader efforts to prevent Indian waters from being used for illicit maritime activities, including smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers designed to conceal the origin of cargo and evade international monitoring or sanctions.
