THOOTHUKUDI
The Indian Coast Guard has seized a banned satellite phone from the captain of a Maldivian ship as he reportedly used it inside the Indian territorial waters.
As the Indian Government has banned the use of satellite phones by anyone inside the Indian territories considering national security, the communication gadget would be seized if it is used within any part of the country. Even though most of the ships visiting Indian ports may have these communication gadgets onboard, it should not be used until the ships leave the Indian waters.
When a ship from Maldives came to VOC Port, Thoothukudi on June 27 last to take boulders to the island nation, the vessel had been anchored in the outer harbour. As the engine of the ship developed a technical snag, the captain of the vessel contacted its owner and the agent through the banned Thuraya satellite phone to seek their help to get the problem solved.
Since the signals from the satellite phone was picked up by the receivers installed in Sriharikota satellite launch facility, the Indian Coast Guard and Customs officials were alerted. Subsequently, a team of ICG and customs officials boarded the ship anchored in the outer harbour and seized the banned satellite phone from the ship.
Further investigations are on.
