KARACHI: The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) and Model Customs Collectorate Gwadar announced on Monday the seizure of over one tonne of hashish worth Rs600 million in a joint action near the Pakistan-Iran border.

No arrest, however, could be made.

At a press briefing held in his office, PMSA director general rear admiral Jameel Akhtar stated that the agency staff, already on high alert, spotted two suspicious boats along the Pak-Iran border. Theboats were chased but the drug peddlers managed to escape on a boat.

`Upon search of the other vessel, a huge cache of hashish was found, which has been handed over to the Customs Preventive Gwadar for further probe,` he said.

Answering a question, the director general said that eight ships would be added to the PMSA fleet to strength security and that the agency stood shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Navy to counter enemy designs.

Expressing concern over discharge of untreated waste into the sea, he said that there was a need to create awareness anddo the needful to address this problem.

`Both human and animal life is being affected by the untreated discharge of waste into the sea. There is an urgent need to do something about it,` he said, estimating that 500MGD of industrial waste was being discharged into the sea.

Model Customs Collectorate Gwadar official Saeed Akram commended PMSA on its achievement and opined that it was the biggest action by the agency.

PMSA officials Abdul Majid, Wajid Nawaz, Imran Bhalai, Kaleemullah and Mohammad Saleem Khokhar were also present.