Mumbai:

A special court here on Wednesday sentenced eight Pakistani nationals to 20 years imprisonment in a 2015 case of seizure of more than 200 kg of drugs valued at nearly Rs 7 crore.

Special judge for NDPS Act cases, Shashikant Bangar, convicted the eight persons for offences committed under the anti-drug law.

They were handed a 20-year jail term, maximum under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on each of the convicts.

In 2015, the Indian Coast Guard apprehended the accused from a boat carrying 232 kg of heroin valued at Rs 6.96 crore off the Gujarat coast.

As per the prosecution, there were 11 drums on the boat with 20 plastic pouches containing a wheatish brown colour powder.

The contents of each packet were tested, which revealed it to be heroin, it said.

The eight Pakistan nationals were also found in possession of three satellite phones, and GPS navigation charts, among other electronic devices.

They were later handed over to the Yellow Gate police in south Mumbai.

Special Public Prosecutor Sumesh Punjwani sought maximum punishment for the accused, saying it could be a lesson for other drug traffickers.

The defence counsel, however, submitted that a lenient view be taken.

After hearing both sides, the court refused to show leniency and sentenced the eight accused to maximum punishment. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ahmedabad:

The Coast Guard has rescued seven Indian fishermen who were apprehended by the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) in the mid-sea off the Gujarat coast and kept on their ship near the maritime boundary between the two countries, officials said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday when the Coast Guard received a distress signal from an Indian fishing boat (IFB) operating near the No-Fishing Zone (NFZ) in the afternoon, said an ICG release.

“At approximately 15:30 pm, an ICG ship on patrol received a distress call from an Indian fishing boat operating near the NFZ. The call reported that another Indian fishing boat, Kal Bhairav, had been intercepted by a PMSA vessel, and seven Indian crew members on board had been apprehended,” said the release.

@IndiaCoastGuard rescued 07 fishermen apprehended by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) near the #India#Pakistan maritime boundary on 17 Nov 24. #ICG swiftly responded to a distress call, intercepted PMSA, and ensured the safe return of the crew. #ICG remains committed to… pic.twitter.com/pP1GiTS8SC

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) November 18, 2024

The Coast Guard immediately swung into action and sent its ship to the location near the India-Pakistan Maritime Boundary (IMBL).

Despite efforts by the PMSA ship to retreat, the ICG ship eventually intercepted the vessel from the neighbouring country and persuaded personnel on board to release the seven Indian fishermen they had apprehended, it said.

“The ICG ship was able to retrieve the seven fishermen safely, who were all found to be in stable medical condition. Unfortunately, the Indian fishing boat, Kal Bhairav, was reported to have been damaged and sunk during the incident,” the release added.

The Indian ship returned to the Okha harbour on Monday where a joint investigation involving the ICG, the Gujarat police, intelligence agencies, and fisheries department was undertaken to probe the circumstances leading to the collision (between PMSA vessel and IFB Kal Bhairav), and the subsequent rescue operation, said the release. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)