No terror link to Iranian trawler detained in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as various investigating agencies have quizzed the 12 persons on-board the Iranian trawler Barooki that was intercepted on Sunday, so far no evidence of any terror links to them could be detected.

However, state police chief T P Senkumar advised the government to seek a probe by the National Investigation Agency into the incident since the probe needed to be extended abroad.

A case was registered against them by invoking Suppression of Unlawful Act and Maritime Zones of India Act. The twelve were produced before a court at Neyyattinkara and remanded to judicial custody.

The police is trying to verify the credential of the 12 through international investigation channels.

“So far nothing dangerous could be detected. All of them are said to be from Baluchistan area which is on Iran – Pakistan border and hence most of them have connections in Iran and Pakistan. Thuraya satellite phones are used by many vessels that venture into deep sea for fishing owing to its high connectivity range,” said police sources.

Pakistan and Iran currency notes and ten SIM cards were also recovered from them.

Some of them also speak Hindi. Officials of central intelligence agencies also quizzed them but they stuck to their claim that they ventured into the sea for fishing on May 25 and got stranded in the sea after the vessel’s engine failed.

The court appointed lawyer C Kamalasanan is offering them legal aid.