A boat was found with three AK-47s and ammunition off the coast of Raigad, Maharashtra. Authorities on high alert.
A suspicious boat was found with three AK-47 rifles and ammunition off the coast of Raigad, Maharashtra on Thursday. The incident sparked a terror scare in the state and left the police authorities on high alert.
ATS (Anti-Terror Squad) and local police reached the spot and started the probe by tracing the origins of the boat.
The boat was found abandoned near Harihareshwar shore in the Raigad district. The place is about 200 km far from Mumbai and 170 km far from Pune.
The Union home ministry has deployed an NIA (National Investigation Agency) team and is keeping a close eye on the developments of the investigation.
While the investigation is underway, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis informed the assembly of some developments that have taken place.
He informed me that the boat belonged to an Australian couple. The owner of the boat is a woman, while her husband is the captain of the boat.
“The boat found drifting off the Raigad coast is owned by an Australian woman. Some semi-automatic weapons have been found on it. Central agencies and the state police have started an investigation into the matter,” Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said.
He further informed us that investigation agencies have not yet established a terror angle but the investigation is underway. “We can’t rule out any angle as of now.” I am just sharing primary information,” Devendra Fadnavis added.
Fadnavis informed us that the vessel, which is four meters wide, was on its way to Europe from Muscat in June when it drifted toward Indian waters due to weather. The Australian couple left it after engine trouble, he added.
From the primary investigation, it seems there is no terror angle, but it has not been ascertained why the boat was carrying weapons, Fadnavis said.
According to reports, the boat is registered in the UK and was sailing from Oman to Europe. It had given an emergency call and people onboard were rescued by a ship sailing near Muscat on June 26.
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