Dubious Pak-bound ship carrying explosives tugged to Kolkata port for investigation
Kolkata: The dubious Pakistan-bound ship, MV Aegean Glory, was on Sunday brought to Kolkata port by the Coast Guard and the Calcutta Port Trust authorities. The
ship was earlier accosted beyond the River Hooghly’s sand banks off Diamond Harbour
, about 50 kilometres south of Kolkata. According to reports, the authorities
impounded the vessel for carrying arms and ammunition without intimation or seeking
permission. A detailed investigation would follow the ship’s arrival at the Kolkata
dock after Indian security officials open the confiscated cargo to ascertain its
contents. The ship came under investigation, after security agencies raised an
alarm when discrepancies were found in the cargo lists provided by the ship’s
captain and the clearing agent. The captain had revealed to Indian officials that
the ship, en route to Pakistan, was carrying rocket launchers, sophisticated arms
and ammunition and anti-aircraft guns for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission
in Liberia, while the clearing agent had not mentioned ‘military hardware’ as
one of the goods on board in his cargo list. Officials said that at least 19 crewmembers
have been detained with regard to the case. They added that the MV Aegean Glory
was slated to unload the military cargo at different ports to return weapons of
the nations that participated in the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
