ICG seizes foreign ship with ₹5cr smuggled cigarettes near Dwarka
India
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) stopped a foreign boat, Al Mukhtar, in India's waters near Gujarat on February 21, 2026.
Onboard, they found around one lakh packets of foreign cigarettes—worth up to ₹5 crore—suspected to be smuggled.
This is part of the ICG's ongoing crackdown on illegal trade in the Arabian Sea.
Vessel taken to Porbandar for deeper probe
The ship was caught about 115 nautical miles west of Dwarka with four crew members, all now in custody.
The vessel has been taken to Porbandar for a deeper probe by security agencies.
This comes just days after another joint operation nabbed two Iranians with over 200kg of suspected narcotics near the maritime border—showing authorities are keeping a close watch on these waters.