DRI, Coast Guard Seize Hashish Oil in Maldives Operation

New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) DRI officers in a joint operation with Indian Coast Guard seized 29.95 kg Hashish Oil worth Rs 33 crore and arrested three persons, the finance ministry said on Sunday.

The Hashish Oil (liquid ganja) was seized from a tug barge vessel sailing towards the Maldives on March 7.

As per Intelligence inputs, a gang based in Tuticorin covertly loaded significant quantities of Hashish Oil onto the barge mid-sea during its voyage to the Maldives, with the assistance of a crew member from the vessel.

At the behest of the DRI, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted the vessel on March 5, 2025, in mid-sea off the Kanyakumari coast and escorted it back to Tuticorin New Port by March 7, 2025.

Rummaging of the barge vessel resulted in recovery of two bags containing 29 plastic packets with description of food items printed on them. The packets were examined and found to contain 'black-coloured liquid paste like substance', which on testing with the field test kit resulted positive for 'Hashish Oil'.

In total, 29 packets weighing 29.954 kg of Hashish Oil, valued at Rs 32.94 crore in the illicit international market, were recovered and seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act,1985.

The three accused persons have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody on March 08, the ministry said.