India seizes armed 'anti-piracy' ship owned by U.S. security firm

[Hafizzz]

US ship with weapons, armed guards intercepted, India begins investigation
US ship with weapons, armed guards intercepted, India begins investigation - Hindustan Times

The police on Monday questioned the crew of a US registered ship with armed guards aboard, accused of illegally transporting weapons and ammunition in Indian waters.

The vessel was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard about 15 nautical miles east of Tuticorin on October 12. Security forces seized 31 assault rifles and around 5,000 rounds of ammunition from the MV Seaman Ohio.

The 35 persons who were on board the ship, including its crew, have been booked for illegally carrying weapons and ammunition. The ship had 10 crew members and 25 armed security guards from India, Britain, Estonia, and Ukraine, coast guard officials said. Eight of its members are Indians.

Coast guard official Santosh Kumar Singh said the ship is owned by a Virginia-based security company, AdvanFort, but is registered in Sierra Leone.

Tuticorin district collector M Ravi Kumar on Monday made a spot assessment of the ship. "A report has already been sent to the government by the police and on Tuesday, I have a meeting with the superintendent of police on this issue," he said.

The police said the ship's captain told investigators that AdvanFort provides armed escorts to merchant vessels travelling in pirate-infested waters in the Indian Ocean. AdvanFort could not immediately be reached for comment.

An FIR was also registered against the 10 crew members of the vessel and 25 guards under the Arms Act for illegally carrying weapons and ammunition.

A case under the Essential Commodities Act, too, has been registered after the crew bought 1,500 litres of diesel illegally with the help of a local shipping agent.

The coast guard detained the ship on Saturday after Indian security agencies received information about weapons being transported on the vessel.

Singh said the ship's crew told the coast guard that documents for the weapons were with the company. The police said they filed the complaint after the crew failed to produce the documents over two days.

India is very sensitive about the presence of armed security guards on merchant ships after the shooting deaths of two fishermen by armed Italian marines last year.

The marines were part of a military security team on a cargo ship when they fired at the fishermen, mistaking them for pirates. The two Italians are facing trial in India for the deaths.

 

[Abingdonboy]

The 35 persons who were on board the ship, including its crew, have been booked for illegally carrying weapons and ammunition. The ship had 10 crew members and 25 armed security guards from India, Britain, Estonia, and Ukraine, coast guard officials said. Eight of its members are Indians.

What actually is your point?? Big whoop some are Indian, why does that matter at all? It's not as if Indians cannot do wrong, is it? This vessel was detained because the Indian security establishment felt that it was doing something wrong, not because it was full of Whites or Non-Indians.


I literally don't know what you're trying to get at by highlighting this.


Trolling I presume.

 

[Vinod2070]

What actually is your point?? Big whoop some are Indian, why does that matter at all? It's not as if Indians cannot do wrong, is it? This vessel was detained because the Indian security establishment felt that it was doing something wrong, not because it was full of Whites or Non-Indians.


I literally don't know what you're trying to get at by highlighting this.


Trolling I presume.

There are too many India obsessed people here who don't know what they are doing.

They just keep doing it anyway...

 

[DeathInvader]

Its the report like this that cause others to question Indian's IQ. Don't blame others this time.

And wat gives u the credibility to question anyone's IQ? are u Stephen Hawking or something?

Is that a new viagra for potent nationalism and up-manship?

haha, maybe.... But i like the name Trollanium!! or Trolliagra!

 

[airomerix]

Atleast it wasnt a land cruiser on the streets of new delhi. -_-

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

An article with some relevance to the seizure of Ships that appear to deliberately stray into Indian waters .................



Once a frequent landing spot for Sri Lankan smugglers who traded opium for beedis and tobacco, the Kodikkarai fishing port in Tamil Nadu is today being used for a deadlier purpose -- arms trade.

Smugglers are now bringing in arms -- with Chinese help -- and channelising them into northern Kerala.

The recent detaining of MV Seaman Guard Ohio, the US-owned ship accused of illegally entering Indian waters with a huge cache of weapons, has once again tested India’s fragile coastal security apparatus.

Prior to this, various agencies have been looking at the illegal passage of vessels which are allegedly smuggling in arms from Sri Lanka and ferrying them to Kerala.

A major part of this operation has been traced near Nagapattinam at the end of the Salt Pan area of Kodikkarai fishing port.

Preliminary investigations have found that the smuggling of arms and ammunition is being carried out with the help of Chinese agents who facilitate the mafia and smugglers who are settled in Sri Lanka.

The National Investigation Agency, which is hot on the terror trail in Kerala, is trying to find out if the arms that have reached the state came through this channel. There is a considerable amount of weapons that have been stocked up in northern Kerala, especially at Udumalapet and the Karur forest areas.

At first, the NIA believed that it was Pakistan which supplied the arms and ammunition, but investigations showed that the route was too long and risky. Today, the Chinese angle appears more plausible.

Central intelligence agencies tell rediff.com that over the past few years there has been a considerable increase in the number of Chinese settlements in southern India. Across Tamil Nadu, especially in the rural areas, there are approximately 170 Chinese who have taken up odd jobs.

An intelligence report states that the Chinese are trying to set up a base in southern India and would look to attack India through this part of the country. There are several elements in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu who are more than willing to help stock these arms and ammunition and the agents either pay them in kind or cash.

An Intelligence Bureau report had in the past suggested that the Lashkar-e-Tayiba had set up a base in Sri Lanka after the fall of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. But the group never carried out any operation.

Now, intelligence officials believe that there was always a Chinese presence in Sri Lanka.

They say that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, which guides the Lashkar, is operating in tandem with the Chinese agents and the Sri Lankan mafia controlled by a major political family to supply arms into India through Tamil Nadu.

Some officers in Tamil Nadu claim that the present state government is serious about putting an end to this problem. Addressing the problem could be complicated as it involves suspected political connections in Tamil Nadu which facilitate such an operation.

An IB official said, “It is now very important to beef up security along the coasts. There have been so many incidents in which ships have drifted into Indian waters illegally and more one looks into it, it appears to be intentional and not a mistake.”

link : Chinese THREAT to southern India is for real - Rediff.com News


Come high heaven or hot water , be it the U.S , China or any other nation ---any activities deemed inimical to Indian National Security will face the boot. Go Figure ...

 

[Vinod2070]

Its the report like this that cause others to question Indian's IQ. Don't blame others this time.

It is zombies like you that make people doubt if the Manchu were right in treating the likes of you as livestock.

 

[IBRIS]

So what's the status.? Had the congessies let them off. heard one of the mechanics have already commited suicide by hanging himself to the ceiling of engine room.

Congress is a cancer, the faster we get rid of them the better this nation will progress.

 

[faithfulguy]

It is zombies like you that make people doubt if the Manchu were right in treating the likes of you as livestock.

Its the pathetic trolls like you that dig out old threads to make ad hominem attacks.

 

[President]

India should will just let this ship go. This is an American ship. Times of India should not publicize this issue before finding out that this is an American ship. That way, India can just let this ship go quiets. Now, India would have to let this ship go and its media would call Indian gov a wuss.



Its the report like this that cause others to question Indian's IQ. Don't blame others this time.

@faithfulguy

which ship would you let go - american, chinese or tawinaese if the situation arises hypoethetically???

 

[xyxmt]

Do you know anything about "Stone Age"? It is a serious topic with respect to human evolution or do you just use the word uttered by George Bush against your all weather friend?

A white friend of mine told me when I asked him why you white people love to go to India, "where else you can see people living like in stone ages beside seeing in movies"

I think thats what GWB was referring to also, he knew our hate for you so he said we will make you look like 70% of India is

 

[faithfulguy]

which should would you let go @faithfull american, chinese or tawinaese???

again?

 

[President]

India should will just let this ship go. This is an American ship. Times of India should not publicize this issue before finding out that this is an American ship. That way, India can just let this ship go quiets. Now, India would have to let this ship go and its media would call Indian gov a wuss.



Its the report like this that cause others to question Indian's IQ. Don't blame others this time.

India should will just let this ship go--I am asking if it was you which ship would you let go?? 

A white friend of mine told me when I asked him why you white people love to go to India, "where else you can see people living like in stone ages beside seeing in movies"

I think thats what GWB was referring to also, he knew our hate for you so he said we will make you look like 70% of India is

stone age-hmm if India is living in stone age..I believe Pakistan is not veen born..and for your kind infomation, the Canadian white you must have encountered has not even left his small red neck town , leave aside going out of country

 

[oFFbEAT]

A white friend of mine told me when I asked him why you white people love to go to India, "where else you can see people living like in stone ages beside seeing in movies"

I think thats what GWB was referring to also, he knew our hate for you so he said we will make you look like 70% of India is

Once I asked an American friend of mine who is in their defence force, what do you guys do in your spare time?, he said, "we operate drones", I said, but that is work isn't it?, he said no, it's like playing a video game, you sit infront of a computer like machine with joysticks and all and operate the drone which is thousands of miles away in Pakistan and kill as many as you like....it's more interesting than a conventional video game as the targets are real....

 

[Thirdfront]

stone age-hmm if India is living in stone age..I believe Pakistan is not veen born..and for your kind infomation, the Canadian white you must have encountered has not even left his small red neck town , leave aside going out of country

No such "white person" exist.... he is just made up during a wet dream...