Four Iranian crew on boat caught with Rs 5 cr foreign cigarettes off Gujarat coast
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Indian Coast Guard has intercepted a foreign boat in the Arabian Sea off Gujarat and apprehended four Iranian nationals after seizing 200 cartons of foreign brand cigarettes valued nearly Rs 5 crore, the ICG said on Sunday.
The operation was carried out on Saturday off the Dwarka coast where a vessel, identified as Al Mukhtar and manned by four Iranian crew, was found concealing 200 cartons containing about one lakh packets of foreign brand cigarettes.
The international market value of the consignment is estimated at Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 5 crore, the ICG said in a post on X.
The boat was being escorted to Porbandar in Gujarat for further investigation and joint interrogation of the crew by security agencies, it added.
"On 21 Feb 26, @IndiaCoastGuard ship intercepted a suspicious foreign boat inside the #Indian #EEZ, approximately 115 NM west of #Dwarka. The vessel, identified as Al Mukhtar, was manned by four #Iranian crew. On rummaging, 200 cartons containing about one lakh packets of foreign brand cigarettes were discovered concealed in the holds," it said.
Earlier, the ICG and Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) in a joint operation on February 16 apprehended two Iranian nationals with more than 200 kg of suspicious narcotics off the Gujarat coast.
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Akhilesh questions removal of NSG cover, accuses BJP govt of 'playing' with his security
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the BJP government of "playing" with his security and sought an explanation for the withdrawal of the National Security Guard (NSG) cover provided to him.
In a statement issued from the SP headquarters here, the former chief minister said the government must clarify the reasons cited in his security cover review that led to the withdrawal.
"The BJP government is playing with my security. I had NSG security, but it was withdrawn. The government should have disclosed why," Yadav said, alleging that security decisions were being politicised.
Yadav also referred to the withdrawal of SPG protection for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the BJP government had earlier removed his cover and made him vacate his official residence.
Speaking to reporters during his day-long visit to Jhansi, Yadav accused the BJP of "insulting everyone", including a Shankaracharya and students at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj.
"They pulled the 'shikha' (tuft of hair) of our 'batuks' and humiliated them. The chief minister is constantly insulting Shankaracharya. He is demanding certificates from him," Yadav said, adding that Yogi Adityanath should apologise for his actions
A "true yogi" empathises with people's suffering, he said, and alleged that the government instead celebrates bulldozing houses. He further claimed that the chief minister does not respect the Constitution and law, and cited cases mentioned in Adityanath's 2017 election affidavit to attack him.
"No other chief minister has faced as many cases as the current chief minister," the SP chief said in the statement.
