Andaman police file 2,000-page chargesheet in 6,016 kg drug haul worth Rs 36,000 crore

Port Blair, Mar 27 (PTI) Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police on Thursday filed a chargesheet at the Special NDPS Court in Port Blair in connection with the largest-ever drug haul in mid-sea, involving 6,016 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 36,000 crore.

"The investigation is related to the case registered vide FIR No. 111/24 U/s 8(c)/22(c)/23(c)/29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 r.w.s (read with section) 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and Section 238 of BNS Act, 2023 by the Police Station Crime & Economic Offence, CID, ANI Police," DGP HS Dhaliwal said.

It is suspected that the contraband, found on the trawler with six Myanmarese crew members on board near Barren Island in the Andaman Sea on November 23 last year, was headed for Thailand. The crew members are currently in police custody.

DGP Dhaliwal had said the fishing trawler developed some technical snag and drifted towards the Indian waters instead of going towards Thailand.

The six arrested Myanmarese were booked under various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985, and the Foreigners Act, 1946.

The DGP said, "A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted under my supervision to probe the case. After thorough investigation by our officers, the charge-sheet has been prepared and filed in the court against the six Myanmarese nationals who are presently in judicial custody." "The investigation entailed collecting multiple electronic evidences and forensic reports including those of satellite phones and GPS devices. The role of an international drug syndicate operating from the Golden Triangle (near the border of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos) has been established in the investigation. The chargesheet has been filed in the court containing more than 2000 pages," he said. PTI