Tense moments prevailed at the Koraikuppam fishing hamlet in Pulicat on Saturday morning, after an an aerial target drone was found floating in the sea.
Police suspect that the drone belongs to the defence forces, and have sought information from the Indian Coast Guard. “Some of our fishermen found it floating in the sea and brought it ashore. It was yellow and red and is built of fibre and wood,” said Krishnan, a fisherman from the village.
Durai Mahendran, State President, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Association, said that villagers gathered around the object, curious to know what it was. “We informed the police about it. We think it is a drone,” he said.
The vehicle has the word ‘target’ written on its wings and on its body, ‘Banshee’ and number 7145 have been painted. It has an electrical component in its head. Some portions in the rear, including a propeller, are missing, the fishermen said.
“It appears that the target drone is used for air defence systems training. As of now, there is nothing suspicious about this,” said a senior police officer.
