Search on for suspicious boat spotted off Maharashtra coast

Security forces intensified efforts to locate a suspicious boat, possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel, spotted off Maharashtra’s Raigad coast. Poor weather hindered interception attempts. The incident prompted heightened coastal security, evoking memories of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks launched via sea

Mumbai: Police and maritime security agencies have intensified their search for a suspicious boat, “possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel”, spotted near Revdanda coast in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, officials said on Monday.

The boat was spotted on the Indian Navy’s radar on Sunday night, around two nautical miles off the Korlai coast in Revdanda, an official said. It was “possibly a Pakistani fishing vessel”, but the identity and other details will be ascertained once the boat is intercepted, the official said.

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Prima facie, the boat was suspected to have drifted to the Raigad coast, an official earlier said.

Security along the coastline in Raigad was stepped up after the vessel was spotted. Following the alert, the Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard personnel rushed to the spot at night and launched the search, he said.

Efforts to reach the boat were hampered at night due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal, along with senior police officials, had reached the coast to monitor the situation, the official said. Dalal herself attempted to approach the boat using a barge but had to return due to adverse weather, the official said.

A large contingent of police was deployed in the area and overall security in the district was heightened as a precautionary measure, he said.

In November 2008, 10 heavily-armed terrorists sailed towards the Mumbai coastline from Pakistan under the cover of darkness and created mayhem for three days in the state capital, leaving 166 persons dead and several others injured.