Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jan 7: It is learnt, that the top police officers of the state have instructed the district police to keep tight vigil on the activities in the coast and record details of every boat that visits and leaves the shores of the state. The department has taken this step after it got information that suspected terrorist Riaz Bhatkal had tried to utilize the services of a boat from Malpe for terrorist activities and also that several unauthorized boats are found to be moving about unchecked all along the west coast bordering Karnataka and Kerala states.
Several boats have been touching the city port for carrying building equipments, provisions etc., to Lakshadweep and other places. Fishing boats from other states too routinely visit the port here on a regular basis. The directive issued by the office of the director general of police to the superintendent of police here has made it mandatory to compile information of such boats and keep a watch over their movements. The policemen here have also been asked to reinforce security around mega industries functioning in the district, in view of the e-mail threat posed to the IT companies.
Reportedly, a person named Sadiq from Malpe had bought a boat equipped with modern facilities, with financial assistance from Riaz Bhatkal. Bhatkal wanted to make use of this boat for his future operations. Riaz had expressed the opinion that Ullal can be safely used for delivering things they want through the sea route, the four arrested terror-suspects had revealed to the police during their interrogation. There have been instances of some suspected boats making an appearance in the Kerala coast and also the sea located at the Karnataka-Kerala border, but speeding away as soon they realize that some others too had observed them approaching the shores.
The Kerala coast has an additional risk at hand. As the Srilankan army operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam intensifies, Tamil rebels are likely to flee from Srilanka and might try to seek shelter in Tamilnadu and Kerala coasts, the security agencies apprehend. Vigil has accordingly been beefed up on the coastlines of these two states too.