A vessel coming from Dubai, suspected to be carrying a satellite phone, was intercepted off Mumbai, and five persons on board have been taken into custody, Coast Guard officials said today.
The Coast Guard yesterday intercepted calls allegedly made through the Thuraya satellite phone on board vessel ‘MSV Yusufi’ which came from Dubai on Tuesday, the officials said.
The officials then intercepted the vessel at 35 nautical miles off Mumbai coast.
When the coast guard officials stepped on board ‘MSV Yusufi’, they found 28 live goats.
On further investigation, they found that the satellite phone was apparently thrown in waters along with some dead goats, they said. Five people onboard the vessel were taken into custody by the Coast Guard and were handed over to Mumbai the police today.
The crew was reportedly in touch with a person identified as Usman in Dubai, for whom some “goods” were being brought to Mumbai by the vessel, the officials said.
The coast guard suspect that the vessel could have brought a big drug consignment.