Navy’s Tarkash seizes 2,500 kg narcotics in anti-smuggling raid

Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash successfully intercepted and seized over 2,500 kg of narcotics in the western Indian Ocean.

While on patrol duty on March 31, the warship received multiple intelligence inputs from the Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I patrol aircraft regarding suspicious vessels operating in the area. These vessels were suspected of engaging in illicit activities, including drug trafficking.

In response, INS Tarkash altered course to intercept the the suspicious vessels. After systematically interrogating all suspicious vessels in the vicinity, the warship, in coordination with the P-8I and the Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai, intercepted and boarded a suspect dhow. The ship also deployed its integral helicopter to monitor the vessel’s activities and identify other potential threats in the area, the Indian Navy said.

A specialist boarding team, accompanied by marine commandos, conducted a thorough search of the dhow, uncovering numerous sealed packets. Further inspection and questioning led to the seizure of over 2,500 kg of narcotics, including 2,386 kg of hashish and 121 kg of heroin, stored in various cargo holds and compartments.

INS Tarkash took control of the dhow, and its crew was subjected to extensive questioning regarding their operations and the presence of other such vessels in the region.

Deployed in the Indian Ocean since January 2025 for maritime security operations, INS Tarkash is supporting Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, a unit of the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The warship is also participating in the multinational joint operation Anzac Tiger.