About 24 hours after reports surfaced about the suspicious movement of a four-member gang inside the high security zone of the Cochin Port, the security forces have termed the whole episode a hoax.
Officials with the Coastal Police in Fort Kochi said no one could be apprehended or located despite combing the area for several hours. “It could have been a group of local fishermen and they might have fled on seeing the patrol boats,” said S. Surendran, Assistant Inspector General, Coastal Police. As per the report, CISF officers guarding the Cochin Port sighted the movement of four persons towards the Q berth on board two canoes, late on Tuesday. The information was quickly passed on to other security agencies, which were then put on high alert. A search operation was launched, involving the Coastal Police, the Coast Guard and the CISF.
According to the official, a blanket ban has been imposed on fishing activities in areas adjoining the Cochin Port due to its proximity to several strategic installations. However, local fishermen often attempt to enter the area expecting a big catch and the suspicious movement could be one of such attempts. “Initially, we checked the areas adjoining the school. Search operations were widened thereafter,” the official said. He also refuted reports about security officers spotting two canoes underneath Q berth.
A top official with the Coast Guard in Kochi also rubbished the reports.