KOCHI: NCB Deputy Director General Sanjay Kumar Singh said the Pakistan-based Haji Salim group was behind the 200 kg of heroin that was seized from an Iranian fishing vessel the other day.

"The group's method is to bring the drugs from the coast of Pakistan in a Pakistani boat and transfer the drugs to Iran in the open sea. They do so to fool the Indian Navy. Groups from the Makran coast of Iran arrive in ships and boats. After taking the drugs to Sri Lanka or the Makran coast, it will be smuggled to Asian countries, including India," Sanjay Kumar Singh said in a press conference.

"Although there were no weapons in the vessel, a satellite phone and three smartphones were seized. There was an attempt to dump the heroin packets into the sea and sink the boat when the navy arrived. The heroin was in 200 packets in waterproof plastic covers. It was supposed to be given to a Sri Lankan boat. All the six arrested are Iranians. NCB is interrogating them. Terrorist links could not be established. Drug mafias in Afghanistan and Pakistan smuggle heroin, charas and methamphetamine through the Indian Ocean. They have been active in this path for several years. The NCB Kochi unit had seized 637 kg of heroin from two boats last year," he added.