The Indian Navy`s Mission deployed stealth frigate INS Trikand, operating in the Central Arabian Sea, for providing urgent critical medical assistance to a Pakistani crew of a fishing vessel operating approximately 350 nautical miles east of the Oman coast. The crew had suffered severe injury, including multiple fractures and blood loss.
On Friday morning, intercepted a distress call from an Iranian dhow, Al Omeedi. Upon further investigation, it was revealed that a crew member of the dhow had sustained severe injuries to his fingers while working on the engine and was in critical condition and that he had been transferred to another dhow named FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia, which was en route to Iran.
INS Trikand immediately altered her course to provide medical assistance to the injured crew member. The crew of FV Abdul Rehman Hanzia comprised 11 Pakistani and five Iranian personnel. The injured individual, a Pakistani national, had suffered multiple fractures and severe hand injuries, resulting in heavy blood loss.
The Medical Officer of INS Trikand, along with a team comprising MARCOS (Marine Commandos) and the Ship`s Boarding Team, boarded the FV to administer aid.
After providing local anesthesia, the ship`s medical team performed suturing and splinting on the injured fingers. The surgical procedure, which lasted for over three hours, was completed, and bleeding was controlled in time, thereby preventing potential permanent loss of the injured fingers due to gangrene.
Additionally, medical supplies, including antibiotics, were provided to the FV to ensure the crew`s well-being until they reached Iran. The entire crew expressed their deep gratitude to the Indian Navy for the timely assistance in saving their crewmate`s life.
Indian Navy seizes 2,500 kg narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean
Indian Navy`s frontline frigate INS Tarkash has seized over 2,500 kgs of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean, earlier this week.
The operation to seize the narcotics was launched after the Navy received inputs on March 31 on suspicious movements of some vessels.
After systematically interrogating all suspicious vessels in the vicinity, INS Tarkash intercepted and boarded a suspect dhow, owing to the coordinated efforts with the P8I marine surveillance aircraft and the Maritime Operations Centre in Mumbai, a Navy spokesperson stated.
Additionally, the ship launched its integral helicopter to monitor the activities of the suspicious vessel and identify other vessels likely operating in the area, he said.
A specialist boarding team, along with Marine Commandos, boarded the suspect vessel and conducted a thorough search, leading to the discovery of various sealed packets, the official said.
Further search and interrogation revealed over 2,500 kgs of narcotic substances (including 2,386 kgs of hashish and 121 kgs of heroin) stored in different cargo holds and compartments onboard the vessel, he said.
The suspicious dhow was subsequently brought under the control of INS Tarkash, and the crew underwent comprehensive questioning regarding their modus operandi and the presence of other similar vessels in the area, the spokesperson added.