Pakistan boat issue: Police to take legal opinion on filing FIR

Ahmedabad, Apr 24: Gujarat police will take legal opinion on registering a First Information Report (FIR) against eight Pakistani nationals caught with drugs worth Rs 600 crore from the sea. “The operation to nab Pakistani nationals and the boat with drugs was conducted in mid Arabian Sea. So there is a need to define jurisdiction,” Superintendent of Police G A Pandya told PTI today. “The issue is related to drugs smuggling. So we will take legal opinion about registering FIR, after the joint interrogation of the Pakistani nationals. The decision will be taken on whether they can be charged under the NDPS Act or any other act,” Pandya said. Meanwhile, custody of all eight Pakistani nationals was handed over to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) today, to conduct a panchanama and other legal procedure. “Custody of all eight Pakistani nationals, caught with a stock of narcotics worth Rs 600 crore, was handed over to the Indian Coast Guard today,” Pandya said.Yesterday, the Indian Coast Guard had given custody of the eight Pakistanis to the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Porbandar, while the boat was handed over to the Customs Department. In an intelligence-based joint operation, the Navy and the Coast Guard intercepted the boat on Monday. It carried narcotics whose street value is estimated to be Rs 600 crore, and arrested eight Pakistani crew onboard off Porbandar coast in Gujarat.