Two boat drivers held for flouting safety norms

Continuing their crackdown on illegal boat services in the Poovar backwaters, the Neyyattinkara police on Thursday arrested two boat drivers who were allegedly taking foreign tourists on a night cruise, without safety precautions and without mandatory licences for both the boats and the drivers.

N. Jayakumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Neyyattinkara), who made the arrests during a surprise raid around 8.15 p.m. on Thursday, said the boats had no proper lighting and the tourists were not wearing life jackets. Moreover, the boats were travelling at high speed.

Mr. Jayakumar said two cases were registered and the drivers – Bijoy, 20 and Vijin, 24 — arrested. The police had earlier conducted raids and seized several boats that were plying without licences in the region.