A Polish national, who was held up at Vasai port for nearly two months after starting a boat trip from Gujarat, tried to get away in his capsule boat and was traced to Uttan.
Eugeniusz Z Reket, 52, had docked at Vasai on March 19 to complete some formalities but was held up after some issues with the port authority over clearance for his trip.
dna reported the matter on March 21, 2014 and April 23, 2014. Reket had then expressed his worry that he might not get the required clearance by May 25, after which boats are not allowed to sail on account of the hazardous monsoon season.
When this correspondent sought to enquire about the progress of his case on Thursday from a Vasai port official, he learned about Reket's alleged attempt to get away.
"On May 17, on the pretext of making a trial run by his capsule boat, Reket fled without taking customs clearance, though he had paid the port dues. We informed the local police and the customs department about his escape," the official said.
The official said that Reket was traced by the marine police to Uttan, which is just south of Vasai across the Vasai creek.
"We asked them not to bring him back to Vasai, but we have submitted a detailed report on the matter to various agencies. The chances are that he would be deported to his country, but the boat would be seized," the official said.
However, Reket was not in his boat on Thursday and neither the port official nor the police could give any details about the man's whereabouts. The boat is still docked at Uttan.
Reket, who says he is a green card holder with a marble and granite business in Miami, Florida, said he got the 23ft luxury boat constructed at Alang. But within a few days of starting his journey the boat developed a snag. It drifted for some hours till he got help from the Indian Coast Guard.
He was detained by the police in Daman, then moved to Vasai to complete some necessary formalities. When this correspondent met him in April, he complained that he was made to run from pillar to post and no one guided him properly on what was required to get the necessary permissions.
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