Paradip, April 16: The Indian Coast Guard on Wednesday busted an illegal betel nut smuggling operation off the Paradip coast, seizing two fishing boats carrying betel nut.

During routine patrolling in the Bay of Bengal, Coast Guard personnel intercepted two suspicious fishing vessels and conducted a raid. A total of 710 bags of smuggled betel nuts were recovered from the boats, identified as Maa Ayesha-1 and Maa Ayesha-2. The seized consignment is estimated to be worth around ₹8.52 lakh.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the boats belong to West Bengal and were operating without valid registration or documents.

The vessels along with their crew have been handed over to the Kasafal Marine Police Station in Odisha for further investigation.

The Indian Coast Guard, in a press statement, reiterated its commitment to maintaining strict vigilance to curb illegal activities at sea.