NEW DELHI, Oct. 1 -- The Indian Coast Guard has seized drugs valued at over Rs.3,000 crore in the international market from an Iranian boat operated by five Pakistani nationals, all of whom were arrested, following a more than two-week-long high-seas operation to foil a drug-smuggling attempt in the Arabian Sea, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

The 16-day operation was jointly conducted by the Coast Guard, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad and central agencies, the officials said, adding that the boat was monitored continuously.

Coast Guard personnel boarded the suspicious Iranian dhow, identified as "Azad", on September 25 around 160 nautical miles north-west of Lakshadweep after "a hot pursuit", and brought it to Mumbai...