Article Posted on : - Oct 05, 2009

File photo of a Coast Guard ship. The N Korean ship was detained by two Coast Guard ships and a Navy vessel.

KOZHIKODE (PTI): A North Korean ship, sailing from Colombo to a Pakistani port, has been detained by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard after it was found anchored in Indian territorial waters off Vatakara coast without mandatory permission.

The ship, ‘Hyang Ro’, was detained on Friday after it was found anchored in suspicious circumstances about 35 kms off Vatakara coast, a Coastguard Commandant at Beypore, near here, said.

All its 44 crew, who were North Koreans, are being questioned, Commandant Sri Kumar said.

Navy PRO in Kochi, Commander Roy Francis, said, “The vessel had entered Indian waters without mandatory clearances from the authorities. They (crew members) stated that they had anchored there because of an internal leak in a tank. We are investigating.”

A senior Coastguard official in Kozhikode said, “The ship has been surrounded and detained by two Coastguard ships and a Navy vessel. The crew is being questioned. Police and state Marine Enforcement Force has also joined the operation.”

The vessel, owned by Sinhung Shipping of North Korea, was sailing from Colombo to the Pakistani port of Bin Khasim near Karachi, he said.

The information about the ship was received from local fishermen.