Kochi: The massive 2,525-kg drug seizure in a joint operation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Indian Navy has all the elements of a thriller, going by the details of the operations.
The estimated cost of the seized contraband – 'superior quality' methamphetamine or crystal meth – is a whopping Rs 25,000 crore which makes it the biggest catch by the agencies from Indian waters.
The operation took place at an undisclosed location, speculated to be somewhere off Kerala because the Navy handed the seized drugs to the NCB in Kochi from where the latter addressed media.
NCB sources revealed on Sunday that the contraband belonged to the notorious drug mafia led by Pakistan-based Haji Salim. A suspected Pakistani is in the custody of the agency and is to be produced before a local court in Kochi.
The agencies intercepted the vessel carrying the drugs as part of their operation 'Samudragupt' which targets ships carrying narcotic contraband through the Indian Ocean region.
Even as the agencies revealed the details of the catch and the operation, one thing remained mysterious. What happened to the vessel which the agencies intriguingly call 'mother ship'?
When the news of the story broke, it seemed as though the ship was seized as well. However, it turned out that there was no clear answer, officially, on what happened to the 'unnamed and unidentified' vessel.
Ask about the ship, the official version is "the investigation is on.”
However, NCB sources, unofficially, say the ship was sunk: those onboard the ship, except the suspected Pakistani, managed to escape on small boats after capsizing the vessel.
If that is what actually happened, the ship must be still lying somewhere on the seafloor. If so, does the Navy know the location? Are they carrying out any search operation? Did the forces manage to seize all that was onboard the ship before it sank? There are no official or unofficial answers yet.
The mystery over the ship adds to the speculation that it could well be in the custody of the forces. Asked if it was indeed the case, a senior NCB official answered in the negative. The question was repeated to two other officers, and the answer was “we don't know what happened to the ship.”
One of the officers suggested that the catch they revealed in Kochi on Saturday was only a part of the real seizure. It could just be that there is more to the story of the mysterious 'mother ship'.
