A Nigerian national has been linked by India's Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad to an alleged international narcotics trafficking network following the seizure of a major drug consignment from an Iranian vessel in the Arabian Sea.

Indian authorities recovered approximately 526kg of narcotics, comprising about 400kg of methamphetamine and 126kg of heroin, during a joint operation involving the Gujarat ATS and the Indian Coast Guard on September 25, 2026. The drugs were estimated to be worth more than ₹3,000 crore, or roughly $330m, on the international market.

The operation took place west of India's Lakshadweep Islands after intelligence received by the Gujarat ATS indicated that a large consignment of narcotics was being transported by sea.

According to the ATS account, the intelligence involved a Nigerian national and a wanted Gujarat-based suspect who were allegedly connected to arrangements for bringing the drugs into India. Indian reports said the Nigerian was allegedly involved as an intermediary, although investigators are still working to establish the individual's precise role in the suspected trafficking network.

The intercepted vessel, identified in Indian reports as the Iranian dhow Azad, was being monitored through a coordinated sea-and-air surveillance operation before Coast Guard personnel moved to intercept and board it.

Five Pakistani nationals were found aboard the vessel and detained. Indian authorities identified them as Mohammad Yakub Balochi, Shakirullah, Faridullah, Ahmed Khan and Wahidullah Khan, all reportedly from Peshawar.

Investigators allege that the narcotics had been moved through a wider international trafficking route. According to the Gujarat ATS account, the consignment was transferred to the Iranian dhow from a smaller vessel linked to Gwadar, Pakistan, before the dhow entered Indian waters.

The reported plan was for the drugs to be transferred to another boat connected to India's Tamil Nadu coast and subsequently moved inland. Indian investigators are examining the intended recipients and other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged operation.

Reports also linked the suspected network to Pakistan-based drug trafficker Haji Salim. That connection is part of the Indian authorities' ongoing investigation into the source, financing and intended distribution of the seized consignment.

Investigators are also examining communications equipment recovered from the vessel. Reports said the dhow was equipped with a Starlink device that enabled internet connectivity while at sea, although the precise use of the equipment in the alleged trafficking operation remains part of the investigation.

The vessel, its crew and the seized narcotics were subsequently taken to Mumbai under armed escort for further questioning and legal proceedings involving the relevant agencies. The Indian Coast Guard said the operation was aimed at disrupting transnational narcotics trafficking and preventing illegal drugs from reaching the Indian mainland.

The reported involvement of the Nigerian national has not been established as a conviction or final finding. Gujarat ATS investigators are continuing to examine the alleged relationship between the Nigerian, the Gujarat-based suspect and other members of the suspected network.

The seizure is among the significant recent maritime narcotics interceptions reported by Indian authorities and highlights the international nature of drug trafficking investigations involving routes across the Arabian Sea.

Further investigations are expected to focus on identifying other suspected participants, tracing the financial transactions connected to the shipment and determining how the narcotics were intended to be distributed after reaching India.