Praveen Nair, the marine engineer from Pathanapuram in the district who has been incarcerated in Kenya for the past three years, could be released soon.
Fresh hope was kindled by a communication from Union Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, hinting at the possible release.
Praveen was arrested along with nine others by Kenyan authorities, who seized a large quantity of firearms and narcotic substances from the merchant ship on which he worked, after intercepting it on Kenyan waters.
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The ship was on its way to Sharjah.
Firearms and drugs
Kenyan authorities had, at that time, said the intercepted ship was one of the two vessels being monitored by security agencies of the country on information that these ships were used for smuggling firearms and drug.
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Two Indians held
The ship is of unknown ownership and Praveen, along with his marine engineering course classmate Vikas Balwan Singh from Delhi, are the two Indians held.
Seven Pakistanis and an Iranian are also among those arrested.
Praveen’s relatives say that he was a trainee seaman and the recruiting agency had posted him on that merchant ship.
The trial of the case was nearing completion in a Mombasa court, Mr. Suresh said.
There was strong intervention at the diplomatic level to secure the release of the two Indians on the grounds that they were innocent and had no role in the drugs smuggling, Mr. Suresh added.