Captain of detained Karachi-bound ship quizzed, vessel may be taken to Kolkata

The captain of the Karachi-bound ship, laden with military hardware, ammunition and explosives, was today quizzed after the papers provided by him were found "inconsistent", even as officials were contemplating taking the vessel to Kolkata Port under escort today.

Papers and documents furnished by the captain of the ship, Aegean Glory Kingstown, to police and customs teams were inconsistent and it (the ship) might be escorted to Kolkata Port by the customs, if necessary, director general of police
(DGP) Bhupinder Singh said.

"Details of the consignment were not given in the list furnished to us and further searches will be made in the arms-laden ship," Singh said.

The captain was deboarded and taken for questioning at Radisson Fort, police said.

The police, coast guard and customs have cordoned off the Liberian registered ship sailing from Chittagong in Bangladesh to Karachi in Pakistan, after it was detained yesterday on an intelligence tip-off.

The navy and coast guard personnel after boarding the 153m ship yesterday found a huge quantity of explosives, rocket launchers, anti-aircraft guns and smoke bombs in two large containers.

A meeting was held here today by representatives of Kolkata Port Trust, navy, coast guard and customs authorities on the issue.

DIG (CID) Anuj Sharma, South 24 Parganas SP LN Meena and customs officials visited the vessel anchored at Diamond Harbour on a hovercraft. No boat was allowed near it.