The Indian Coast Guard has reported the largest drug seizure in its history. On Tuesday, authorities announced the confiscation of 5.5 tons of methamphetamine from a fishing vessel traveling from Myanmar.
The vessel was spotted during an aerial patrol in the Andaman Sea, located between India and Myanmar. According to officials, the boat, carrying six Myanmar nationals, was intercepted at dawn on Sunday in Indian territorial waters. The Coast Guard stated that an inspection of the vessel revealed approximately 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine.
In their statement, authorities described the seizure as “the largest drug haul in the history of the Indian Coast Guard.” The intercepted vessel was transported to an Indian naval base.
The “Golden Triangle” region, encompassing the borders of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, has been a hub of drug production for decades. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), methamphetamine is the primary drug produced in the region, predominantly in Myanmar. Traffickers increasingly use maritime routes to bypass heightened border controls with China and Thailand.
The confiscated drugs are valued at several million euros. According to UNODC, the wholesale price of methamphetamine in production regions is approximately €380 per kilogram.
