Coast guard detain 10, seize foreign liquor, US$ worth ₹13 lakh

The Mumbai Coast Guard intercepted a suspiciously moving fishing boat, which was approaching the Arabian Sea (around 20 nautical miles off the city coast) and towing

The Mumbai Coast Guard intercepted a suspiciously moving fishing boat, which was approaching the Arabian Sea (around 20 nautical miles off the city coast) and towing another boat. The Coast Guard detained 10 people from the boats, which were coming from Gujarat.

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The Coast Guard also seized foreign liquor, cigarettes and US dollars (₹13 lakh), collectively worth ₹68 lakh, from the boats.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ajis Musakara, 42; Ghanshyam Kumar Turi, 19; Dilip Turi,19; Shabbir Baya, 50; Asif Pathan, 50; Sadique Shaikh, 35; Shivkumar Nishad, 30; Surendra Turi, 38; Kailas Singh, 32; and Budhraj Lalla, 40.

They belong to Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai.

The Coast Guard spotted the boats and then went on to search the boats as they did not possess fishing license, and after they found discrepancies in the answers of the men.

“We suspect they could be part of a group dealing in smuggling of foreign cigarettes and liquor from foreign ships, ahead of the New Year,” said a police officer.

Sewree police has taken over the case for further investigation, which the anti-terrorism squad (ATS) officials, too, are interrogating the accused. “Nothing so far has surfaced in during the questioning that indicates of any terror angle,” said a police officer, who did not wish to be named.

The 10 men have been booked under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COFTA).