Indian Coast Guard and DRI Uncover ₹33 Crore Hashish Oil Smuggling Operation at Sea

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) successfully intercepted a vessel en route to the Maldives, seizing 29.954 kg of Hashish Oil valued at ₹33 crore.

Three suspects linked to this smuggling operation were apprehended.

According to officials, DRI had received intelligence regarding a tugboat towing a barge loaded with rock boulders that had set sail from Tuticorin Old Port. It was discovered that a smuggling ring in Tuticorin coordinated the transfer of Hashish oil onto the barge at sea with assistance from a crew member. The vessel was monitored as it approached its destination in the Maldives.

On March 5, 2025, acting on this intelligence, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the vessel off Kanyakumari’s coast. By March 7, it was escorted back to Tuticorin New Port where authorities detained those responsible for loading drugs onto it.

Upon arrival at port, another crew member who aided in locating the vessel was also arrested. A detailed search revealed two bags containing 29 plastic packets labeled with food-related descriptions. Upon inspection, these packets were found to contain a black paste-like substance.

Field tests confirmed it as hashish Oil.

The total weight of seized drugs amounted to 29.954 kg with an estimated illegal market value of ₹32.94 crore. The contraband was confiscated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.

The suspects were presented in court and remanded into judicial custody on March 8, 2025.