Gujarat ATS gets 12-day custody of 5 Pakistanis in ₹3,000 crore drug haul
Synopsis
Five Pakistani nationals from Peshawar are now in Gujarat ATS custody after a 16-day surveillance operation led to the seizure of 526 kg of heroin and meth — worth over ₹3,000 crore — from an Iranian boat near Lakshadweep. The case exposes a cross-border trafficking network allegedly linked to Pakistan-based smuggler Haji Salim, with the drugs bound for Tamil Nadu and Punjab, and communications routed via Starlink in international waters.
Key Takeaways
An Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court granted the Gujarat ATS a 12-day remand of five Pakistani nationals on 1 October 2026 , valid until 13 October .
The five accused — Mohammad Yaqub Balochi , Shakirullah , Faridullah , Ahmed Khan , and Wahidullah Khan — are all residents of Peshawar , Pakistan.
The Iranian vessel 'Azad' was intercepted west of Lakshadweep on 25 September , yielding 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin , valued at over ₹3,000 crore .
The 16-day operation involved the Gujarat ATS, Indian Coast Guard, and central intelligence agencies, coordinated through the Union Home Ministry .
The consignment was allegedly destined for Tamil Nadu and then Punjab , with a Nigerian receiver reportedly at the end of the chain.
The boat used a Starlink device for communications in international waters; investigators are also probing the alleged role of Pakistan-based smuggler Haji Salim .
A local court in Ahmedabad on Thursday, 1 October 2026, granted the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) a 12-day remand of five Pakistani nationals arrested in connection with the seizure of 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine from an Iranian boat in the Arabian Sea. The Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court has authorised investigators to interrogate the five accused until 13 October, as they work to unravel an international narcotics trafficking network with links spanning Pakistan, Iran, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab.
Who the Accused Are
The five men, all residents of Peshawar, have been identified as Mohammad Yaqub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan, and Wahidullah Khan. They were produced before the Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court following their arrest and remanded into ATS custody.
Investigators are expected to question them on the source of the narcotics, their roles in the supply chain, their links to international trafficking networks, and the identity of the intended recipients of the consignment inside India.
How the Seizure Happened
The operation traces back to 10 September, when the Gujarat ATS received intelligence about a meeting in Ahmedabad involving a Nigerian national and an associate of a wanted accused. That tip-off indicated that a consignment exceeding 500 kg of narcotics was being shipped from Iran and was to be transferred to a Tamil Nadu-based boat in Indian waters.
The ATS and the Indian Coast Guard conducted surveillance over several days before locating and intercepting the Iranian vessel 'Azad' in Indian waters west of Lakshadweep on 25 September. The operation involved ATS officers boarding the vessel alongside Coast Guard personnel after central agencies shared the intelligence. The Union Home Ministry confirmed that the operation lasted 16 days and required coordination between the Gujarat ATS, the Coast Guard, and central intelligence agencies.
The boat and all five accused were subsequently brought to Mumbai under security for further investigation before the judicial proceedings shifted to Ahmedabad.
The Drugs and Their Estimated Value
The vessel was found carrying approximately 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin — together totalling 526 kg. Authorities have estimated the street value of the consignment at more than ₹3,000 crore in the international market.
The ATS has said the drugs were intended to reach Tamil Nadu first, after which they would be transported to Punjab, where a Nigerian receiver was reportedly awaiting delivery.
Starlink Technology and Pakistani Network Links
One of the more striking elements of the case is the use of advanced communications equipment. According to ATS officials, the boat 'Azad' was equipped with a Starlink device capable of providing internet connectivity in international waters, reportedly used to communicate with handlers during the maritime journey — a technique that significantly complicates interception and surveillance.
Investigators are also probing the alleged role of Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haji Salim and his network in arranging the consignment. The wider network and the intended recipients inside India remain under active investigation.
What Investigators Are Focusing On Next
During the 12-day remand period, the ATS is expected to establish the precise roles of each of the five accused, trace the network's Pakistani and Indian links, and identify others involved in financing, coordinating, or facilitating the planned delivery. The involvement of central intelligence agencies suggests the case may have broader national security dimensions beyond narcotics trafficking alone. Further investigation is underway.
Point of View
Multi-country trafficking architecture that uses Iranian vessels, Starlink-enabled maritime communications, and a distribution chain stretching from Peshawar to Punjab via Tamil Nadu. The alleged involvement of Haji Salim's network raises questions that go beyond narcotics into terror financing, given the ATS's mandate. What is notable is the 16-day surveillance window before interception — suggesting either unusually good intelligence or that the network was already partially compromised. The Starlink detail deserves scrutiny: if commercial satellite internet is now standard kit for narco-traffickers operating in Indian waters, that is a surveillance gap that neither the Coast Guard nor central agencies have publicly acknowledged addressing.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What drugs were seized in the Gujarat ATS operation near Lakshadweep?
The Gujarat ATS and Indian Coast Guard seized approximately 400 kg of methamphetamine and 126 kg of heroin — totalling 526 kg — from the Iranian vessel 'Azad' intercepted west of Lakshadweep on 25 September 2026. Authorities have valued the consignment at more than ₹3,000 crore in the international market.
Who are the five Pakistani nationals arrested in the drug case?
The five accused are Mohammad Yaqub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan, and Wahidullah Khan, all residents of Peshawar, Pakistan. They were produced before an Ahmedabad Metropolitan Court, which granted the Gujarat ATS 12 days of remand until 13 October.
What was the intended route of the drug consignment inside India?
According to the ATS, the drugs were to be transferred from the Iranian boat to a Tamil Nadu-based vessel in Indian waters, then transported to Punjab, where a Nigerian receiver was allegedly waiting for delivery.
What role did Starlink play in the drug trafficking operation?
The Iranian boat 'Azad' was reportedly equipped with a Starlink device that provided internet connectivity in international waters, allegedly used by the accused to communicate with their handlers during the maritime journey. Investigators say this technology allowed the network to coordinate while beyond the range of conventional communications surveillance.
Who is Haji Salim and what is his alleged connection to this case?
Haji Salim is described by investigators as a Pakistan-based drug smuggler whose network is allegedly linked to the consignment seized near Lakshadweep. The ATS is examining his role as part of the broader probe into the international trafficking network behind the operation; he has not been arrested in this case.
