Port Blair, Nov 27 (PTI) Commander-in-chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan on Wednesday asserted that unlike eastern and northern borders of the country, where the threat is defined, the enemies are invisible and the challenges are very tough in the archipelago.

Around 6,000 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 36,000 crore was seized from a Thailand-bound trawler with six Myanmarese crew near Barren Island in the Andaman Sea on November 23. It was the largest maritime seizure in India. The trawler is suspected to have developed some technical snag and drifted towards Indian waters.

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Speaking to PTI, Balakrishnan said, "On the challenges here, I would like to say that unlike the eastern and northern borders, where the adversaries are known, the Indian Ocean (in Andaman and Nicobar Islands) has invisible enemies. But despite these challenges, I would like to assure people that the Andaman and Nicobar Command is fully prepared to handle any untoward incident."

"Following the biggest catch, we have experienced new on-ground challenges and intensified our vigil to protect India's maritime boundaries. To secure a vast region, it has to be a combination of space-based surveillance, aircraft patrolling and ship-based patrolling. This, along with intelligence feedback we get from several agencies. All these together are the only way to ensure safety and security of this archipelago. We are utilising all these resources to keep our waters safe from intruders," he added.

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The CINCAN commended the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Dornier aircraft, which spotted the vessel during routine patrolling on November 23.

"I personally feel that the future of maritime security will depend on the way India enhances its capability in this region. Andaman and Nicobar is a strategic outpost as far as India's security is concerned. We clearly understand the important role that this archipelago plays in the overall strategic scenario.

"Every day, many international ships pass through this region and our government is very much aware that we need to enhance our capability. The future of maritime security of this region will be determined by the way India enhances its capability," he added.

This was not the first time that such banned contraband was seized in Indian waters in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2019 and 2022, similar drug seizures were made from foreign vessels while they tried to enter Indian waters.

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