TN coastal police on high alert after seizure of heroin off Gujarat coast

Chennai, March 8 Tamil Nadu coastal police and the Indian Coast Guard unit are on high alert after the seizure of Rs 425 crore heroin from the Gujarat coast on Tuesday.

The central intelligence agencies had reported the probability of certain Tamil Nadu-based groups owing allegiance to Tamil nationalism trying to garner funds by smuggling drugs. There were also reports of some Pakistan-based networks being approached by these groups in the past for smuggling heroin and other psychotropic drugs to India and Sri Lanka.

Sabesan alias Satkunam, a former top operator of the LTTE, in October 2021 who was arrested from Chennai after the seizure of Rs 3,000 crore worth of drugs and five AK 47 assault rifles has revealed that he was involved in collecting funds for the LTTE and reorganising the outfit.

Recently a few Sri Lankan nationals were apprehended in Thoothukudi by the Tamil Nadu Police while they were trying to smuggle in drugs from Pakistan through the international smuggling network controlled by the Haji Ali network.

The central intelligence agencies had warned the Tamil Nadu coastal police of a possible smuggling bid into Tamil Nadu from Pakistan to be distributed to other states and to European destinations. The former Tamil nationalist network of the LTTE is being used to push these drugs, and the seizure at Gujarat coast has alerted the coastal police of Tamil Nadu.

The arrest of six Sri Lankan nationals by the 'Q' branch of the Tamil Nadu Police and the hefty amount they had paid to the power boat owner are reasons for pointing the needle of suspicion towards the drug networks.