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'This is the first case in which we saw use of Starlink by smugglers.'
Andaman and Nicobar Director General of Police Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com how the Indian Coast Guard apprehended six Burmese smugglers from the high seas and seized more than 6,000 kg of methamphetamine (a synthetic recreational narcotic), a narcotic lifestyle drug, worth $4.2 billion in the international market.
The most startling revelation of this operation has been the use of sophisticated Starlink satellite communication equipment that uses low entry orbit satellites for communication which avoids interception, DGP Dhaliwal tells Rediff.com.
"We have had a huge number of joint interrogations where we have shared inputs with the (Indian) Coast Guard and other defence forces as needed. Due to all those interrogations and all that collating of information, the Andaman police and Coast Guard has been able to zero down on the areas which really need special patrolling, and which need to be specially monitored," informs Dhaliwal.
Starlink, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has plans to offer satellite Internet in India and is awaiting government approval.
How do the smugglers from Myanmar operate in Indian waters? What is their modus operandi?
They normally get a boat for such kind of activities. Normally, they buy their own boat; more so when it is a high stake shipment such as this one and they ply from Burma to their destinations in Southeast Asian nations down to Thailand and Indonesia.
On the high seas, international borders are not finely drawn boundaries and so it is always very easy for them to lose their way by a few nautical miles (one nautical mile=1.852 km) here and there and stray into Indian waters. That is how the Coast Guard and the Andaman police apprehended this vessel.
How did the Andaman police come to know about this shipment? Was there any intelligence or did it happen because the boat strayed into Indian waters?
We have been working on (interrogating) various Burmese narco guys (those who smuggle narcotics/drugs) since many years and there's a long history to this.
Earlier too there were big seizures around group of islands in South Andaman. This happened in 2019 and they were the last big seizures. They happened in September and December 2019. The total drug involved that time was 1,500 kilograms in the two seizures -- 1,100 kg-something and 300 kg.
Since those five years there have been many catches, but not of the same quantities. We have caught large numbers of Burmese nationals in these operations. There are other nationalities also, but mainly Burmese.
We have had a huge number of joint interrogations where we have shared inputs with the Coast Guard and other defence forces as needed. Due to all those interrogations and all that collating of information, the Andaman police and Coast Guard has been able to zero down on the areas which really need special patrolling, and which need to be specially monitored.
Our police force -- because our jurisdiction is 12 nautical miles, we keep our watch in those areas around the islands. Farther from 12 nautical miles to up to 200 nautical miles is the Coast Guard's jurisdiction.
This is where (between 12 and 200 nautical miles off the Indian coast) this boat was initially spotted.
It was hauled up and brought to the shore and thereon the Andaman police and Coast Guard joined together to search the entire boat and we could find this 6,000 plus kilogram of methamphetamine.
What kind of risks are involved in this kind of operation that led to the seizure of almost 6,000 kg of meth?
When they would have boarded the ship there could have been heavy weapons. They had little sharp edged things, but no armed weapons or automatic pistols or guns (when the Coast Guard and Andaman police apprehended them).
What kind of sophisticated communication equipment do these smugglers use to carry out their illegal activities?
Satellite phones are tough to intercept. Normally, till now we had seen the best or the highest end of spectrum they have ever had was the satellite phone usage. But this is the first cases in which we are seeing that they were using the Starlink satellite.
Why is it so important, this Starlink satellite communication that these smugglers were using?
This is very relevant for the future in the sense that this (usage of Starlink satellite communication equipment) is the first time we have intercepted smugglers using such sophisticated piece of communication equipment and this definitely poses a different challenge altogether.
The significance of this satellite communication equipment is that this virtually is like avoiding all the legal channels of communication. It's (calls made using Starlink equipment) not being regulated and they (the smugglers) are directly communicating (with their accomplices) using low entry orbit satellites.
How advanced is the technology with the Coast Guard and the Andaman and Nicobar police to tackle this kind of smuggling in the high seas?
In and around the islands (that make up the Andamans and Nicobar) our teams have done great work to intercept and all this things (seize contraband and arrest smugglers).
In the high seas, beyond 200 nautical miles, it is the Navy which comes in. Between 12 and 200 (nautical miles) is the Coast Guard (jurisdiction). I think they are also doing their best in keeping these waters safe.
The Andaman police has asked Starlink for details of the purchase of this sophisticated equipment. Have they responded to the legal demand raised by the Indian police?
We are yet to get a reply from them.
How many drug smugglers were involved in this operation?
Six (smugglers) have been arrested. The people behind (their accomplices) are still in Burma. The master of the ship is also under arrest.
Where was this consignment headed? Who is the kingpin of this smuggling ring in the high seas?
The master of the ship is the kingpin (of this particular haul of meth) along with another guy who is called the 'boss' and whose name and identity we are still trying to find out.
Have you got the identity of these smugglers arrested on the boat and who their Indian contacts were? Where was this meth headed to?
This meth was headed towards Southeast Asian nations. This investigation is still ongoing.