Kolkata, July 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) apprehended a suspicious fishing boat off the Sundarbans coast in West Bengal on July 22, and recovered a cache of illegal firearms and ammunition.
Four Indian crew members were arrested and are being interrogated by several agencies about their plans in the sensitive area.
“The operation was based on credible intelligence inputs and the ICG worked in coordination with the West Bengal forest department. The recovery of so many illegal firearms in that area is a matter of grave concern,” an official said.
The Sundarbans is the largest deltaic mangrove forest in the world, shared by India and Bangladesh. It is home to the Bengal Tiger and other endangered species of wildlife. Patrolling the area is tricky due to the difficult terrain. Criss‑crossed by narrow creeks, the area is inaccessible by larger vessels, while fishing boats can move around with ease.
Apart from the forest department and marine police, the Border Security Force (BSF) patrols the area. It has Floating Border Outposts (BOPs) anchored in the region, from which speedboats are launched. The ICG operates near the periphery of the mangrove forests, closer to the coast. Hundreds of fishing boats move in the area, making surveillance difficult without proper intelligence.
“Efforts are on to find out if the group was out to poach animals or had other plans, such as robbery or cross‑border crimes, including human trafficking. The recovery of arms and ammunition so close to the India‑Bangladesh border and inside a reserve forest is certainly a matter of concern. Investigation is underway,” the official added.
The four crew members are being questioned about their activities and whether there were other members of the group in the area. Efforts are also on to trace the source of the weapons and ammunition.
“The interception underscores ICG’s resolve to dismantle trans‑border trafficking networks and safeguard maritime security through proactive intelligence‑based operations,” the force posted on X.
Source: IANS
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