A Pakistani boat with eight suspected smugglers on board was intercepted during a joint operation by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard in the waters off Gujarat.
The vessels was monitored for several days before being intercepted on Monday, defence sources were quoted as saying by several TV news channels.
Three warships from the navy and Coast Guard and a Dornier surveillance aircraft of the navy were involved in the operation. The sources said the boat was being towed to Porbandar.
The boat was intercepted somewhere between the Jakhau and Porbandar ports, the sources said. Some media reports said a sizeable quantity of drugs and two satellite phones were found on the boat but this could not be independently confirmed.
The incident comes more than three months after a Pakistani fishing boat said to be carrying explosives was intercepted by the Coast Guard off the Porbander coast after a chase. The boat exploded and sank with four crew members on board on December 31 last year.
Though the government claimed the boat was set on fire by its Pakistani crew, a senior Coast Guard caused considerable embarrassment for the authorities when he claimed in February that he had ordered the destruction of the vessel. The official was removed from his position after an inquiry.
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