Indian Coast Guard apprehends suspect boat off Kerala coast

Kochi: Indian Coast Guard received an input through the Kerala State Police, Thiruvananthapuram regarding movement of a suspicious fishing trawler about 100 kilometres west of Alleppey.

The vessel was likely to be involved in the transfer of high value contraband at high seas.

On receipt of the information, Coast Guard Regional Headquarters analysed the situation and launched a Dornier aircraft off Coast Guard Air Enclave Kochi for surveillance sorties.

Coast Guard ships Samar and Abhinav were also sailed from Kochi at maximum speed to carry out effective surveillance and interdict the suspect entity.

^{The suspicious trawler tied to an ICG ship (Photo: ICG)}

The Dornier arrived at the expected position and after a prolonged area surveillance, in rough weather conditions, sighted one suspicious contact on the midnight of 4 July, 2015.

Coast Guard ships Samar and Abhinav in intercepted the suspected boat ‘Barooki’ late at night and shadowed the vessel.

The ships followed the vessel throughout the night remaining out of visual range to avoid detection by the suspect boat.

^{The suspicious trawler (Photo: ICG)}

Before the break of dawn on Spain, Portugal, Wildfire, World, the Coast Guard boarding team of ICGS Samar boarded the suspected vessel.

The boat along with 12 crew members had departed Kalat, Iran on 25 May, 2015.

The detailed investigation by the boarding party revealed that the position, features and crew details matched with intelligence inputs provided by the State police.

The apprehended boat along with its crew were escorted to Vizhinjam harbour. A joint interrogation by the Intelligence Bureau, State Intelligence Bureau, local police, scientific experts, and the Bomb disposal Squad is in progress.

^{Police officers on board the suspicious trawler (Photo: ICG)}

During the rummaging authorities found a Thuraya communication set, and one Pakistani ID card on the suspected boat.

The boat has been handed over to Police authorities.