Early in February morning, the Mumbai Police intercepted a boat in the Arabian Sea, a stone’s throw away from the iconic Gateway of India. The vessel, named ‘Abdullah Sharif’, had made its way undetected all the way from Kuwait, leading to an immediate investigation due to the potential breach of maritime security. The boat was carrying three individuals from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, creating a mystery around their unpermitted journey.
The unanticipated arrival of the Kuwaiti vessel in Mumbai’s waters has raised eyebrows among the defence forces. This incident has been viewed as a major lapse on part of the Navy and Coast Guard, who were unable to detect the boat’s approach towards the city. The question of how the vessel managed to sail so close to Mumbai undetected remains unanswered, revealing potential chinks in India’s maritime security armor.
The Mumbai Police, after intercepting the vessel, apprehended the three individuals on board, all of whom claimed to be Indian nationals from Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. They were employed in Kuwait and have allegedly run away due to unpaid wages and lack of food for nearly two years. The boat has been impounded, and the claims made by these individuals are presently under scrutiny by the police.
An incident like this, while seemingly innocuous, resonates deeply due to the haunting memory of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Ten Pakistani terrorists had exploited the sea route to infiltrate Mumbai, leading to a tragedy that claimed numerous lives.
