Where is MV Al-Husseini?

NEW DELHI: Indian intelligence is pressuring the government to mount an aggressive effort to get details of merchant vessel (MV) al-Husseini, on which terrorists left Karachi for Mumbai.

It hopes the government will use both US intermediaries and direct contacts with Pakistan to access the vessel, which is a crucial evidence in the investigation into the Mumbai terror attack.

Sources told DNA the navy and R&AW were making efforts on a war footing to track the vessel. The technical evidence gathered by the agencies after the Mumbai attack establishes the presence of the Pakistani vessel, its movement and direct link with LeT. Sources said the ship sailed from Karachi Port on November 17 and after it came on the intelligence radar, an alert was sounded on November 19 about its position.

The vessel remained in sea for the next seven days. Phone intercepts establish it was around the international marine border on Pakistan’s side.

Ajmal Kasab, the only Mumbai terrorist captured alive, has admitted he, with nine others, boarded the merchant vessel on November 23.  The sources said as India had no treaty with Pakistan, US help was important in tracking down the vessel. “This is the right time to step up pressure because there is so much evidence,” former CBI chief Joginder Singh said.