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| N Korean ship had no business to be in Indian waters: Admiral Mehta |
| Press Trust Of India / Port Blair/New Delhi Aug 09, 2009, 00:26 IST |
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India today said the North Korean cargo ship, which illegally entered its territorial waters, had "no business" to be there even as its captain claimed it had done so due to mechanical problems.
Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said in Delhi that M V San "had no business" to be in Indian waters and that the maritime security agencies had fears that it could be carrying nuclear components.
"The fact is that the ship had no business to be there," he said, adding "that (it was carrying nuclear components) was our apprehension also. At the moment, it is carrying genuine merchandise."
Coast Guard Andaman and Nicobar Region Commander K R Nautiyal said, "We are in the process of investigation. Expert agencies, including Korean interpreters, are likely to come to facilitate better communication, because they (crew members) are not very good in English." However, one information that the Coast Guard could extract from M V San's captain was that the ship had entered the Indian waters, about 65 nautical miles south of Port Blair due to a mechanical fault, which could not be corroborated.
"There are a few inconsistencies, which have been found about the ship, like some papers are not in order," he said.
Since the cargo vessel was brought to Port Blair around 0500 Hours yesterday, the investigating agencies have learnt and verified that the ship, which set sail from a port in Thailand on July 27, was carrying 16,000 tonnes of sugar to an Iraqi port.
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