16 Pakistanis, 3 Iraqis aboard detained ship being questioned

[utubekhiladi]

Pakistanis, Iraqis aboard detained ship off Lakshadweep

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) Security agencies continued to grill 16 Pakistani and three Iraqi nationals who were on board an unidentified ship detained off the coast of Lakshadweep recently after the vessel illegally entered its territorial waters.
Sources privy to the interrogation of the foreign nationals said today they were not forthcoming in giving out details about their voyage. The ship has been anchored off Kavaratty, the capital of Lakshwadeep.
The ship had sailed into the waters and was heading to an unknown destination when it was challenged by the Coast Guard and the Navy, the sources said.
In a bid to take on piracy, a new Coast Guard (CG) headquarters and a station were inaugurated by Defence Minister A K Antony at Lakshadweep chain of islands two days ago, on December 24.
The headquarters of the CG district-12 in Kavaratti and the station at Minicoy are part of the Coast Guard''s expansion plans and to combat the looming threat from the sea brigands in the Indian territorial waters.
The initial suspicion amounted to the ship�s movement towards the Maldives, which, according to Indian intelligence, is now a preferred destination by terror groups based in Pakistan.
However, the sources did not rule out the vessel sailing towards any of the unoccupied islands in Lakshadweep or Daman and Diu areas. However, the picture would be clear once the people on board the ship being questioned by the central security agencies, the Coast Guard and the Navy, give out information, the sources said.
The ship was being thoroughly combed and a special team was being rushed from Delhi to carry out the searches as well as to interrogate the crew of the ship, they added.
The Lakshadweep chain of islands have witnessed recent piracy attempts on cargo ships in and around its waters, as 14 incidents were reported from here in the last one year. PTI SKL SC RT GSN

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[Tshering22]

However, the sources did not rule out the vessel sailing towards any of the unoccupied islands in Lakshadweep or Daman and Diu areas. However, the picture would be clear once the people on board the ship being questioned by the central security agencies, the Coast Guard and the Navy, give out information, the sources said.

THAT is the danger right there. Despite seeing the threat of unoccupied islands turning out to be potential terrorist or piracy outposts and after witnessing a marine-based terrorist massacre, GOI still is slow on picking up the security measures. I.C.G needs to increase surveillance with UAVs or better keep unmanned listening posts on these islands so that a rapid action operation can be taken just in case something is audible there resembling unwelcome visitors.

The ship was being thoroughly combed and a special team was being rushed from Delhi to carry out the searches as well as to interrogate the crew of the ship, they added.

You know, I still find it appalling that why the heck does everything that happens in other sides of the country still requires everything to be rushed in from Delhi. Hasn't 26/11 filled the brains of GOI that having regional reaction team of special forces and investigation experts is necessary in a huge country like India?