New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS): Five Pakistani drug smugglers were arrested on Monday when they were trying to sneak into Gujarat through the sea route, police said. The police confiscated 35 kgs of contraband worth about Rs 175 crore in the international market.

The arrested Pakistani nationals have been identified as Anees (30), Ismail Mohammed Kachchi (50), Ashhraf Usman Kutchhi (42), Kareem Abdulla Kutchhi (37) and Abubaqar Ashraf Sumra (55). They all are residents of Beet Zajeera in Karachi.

A senior IPS officer said that anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police received intelligence that an illegal consignment of heroin is going to be smuggled into Gujarat through the coast.

"The information further revealed that the consignment is being sent in a Pakistani fishing boat from Pakistan," the officer said.

The Gujarat Police top officers approached the Indian Coast Guard and a joint operation was launched to apprehend the smugglers and seize the contraband.

A team of ATS and Indian Coast Guard started the operation with fast interceptor boats at Jakhau in Kutch.

"Commandos of marine task force were kept in boats in Indian waters to help in apprehending the smugglers," the officer said.

Continuous search operation was undertaken near the location located North West of Jakhau, which was indicated in the information available with ATS Gujarat.

"A suspicious Pakistani boat was identified at the said location in Indian waters. The Indian Coast Guard interceptor boats stealthily started following the boat, and at the opportune moment, officers and marine commandos and with ATS officers successfully boarded the suspicious boat," the officer said.

A search of the boat revealed 35 packets of contraband heroin.

"The interrogation of the apprehended accused persons is in progress jointly by all agencies," the officer said.