RAW and IB begin investigation on detained US ship

Chennai: A day after an FIR was filed against 35 persons on board US ship ‘M V Seaman Guard Ohio,’ detained for straying into Indian waters carrying weapons and ammunition, a multi-agency investigation, including officials from RAW and IB, has begun, sources said today. Tamil Nadu government despatched a preliminary report on the incident to the Home Ministry and RAW and IB have joined the investigations along with other agencies to ascertain whether the crew had documents for all the weapons they carried on board the vessel for a detailed report, they said. [caption id=“attachment_1173519” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The US ship is now at the Tuticorin port. PTI[/caption] The final report on the investigation would be sent to the Home Ministry, they said. However, officials remained tight-lipped on the course of the investigation. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu police have launched a manhunt for two men who allegedly procured and supplied diesel illegally for Seaman Guard Ohio. “We want to take them into custody to probe if the deal with Ohio pertained only to diesel,” an official said. An FIR was registered against 10 crew members and 25 guards of the vessel under various sections of the Arms Act, after the ship flying the Sierra Leone flag was intercepted by the Coast Guard in Indian waters some 15 nautical miles off Tuticorin coast on Saturday. Besides, a case under the Essential Commodities Act has also been registered for buying 1,500 litres of diesel illegally with the help of a local shipping agent. PTI