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Indian Coast Guard
Over 300 kg of Sea Cucumbers worth Rs 1.35 crore was seized in a coastal town in Tamil Nadu, the Coast Guard said here on Sunday. Acting on specific inputs, officials at the Coast Guard Station in Mandapam deployed a team which seized the Sea Cucumbers in Attangarai sea shore area, an official release said. The smugglers allegedly fled the scene on sighting the Coast Guard personnel. Sea Cucumbers are listed as endangered species under the sections of Wildlife Protection Act 1972 since it plays a significant role in maintaining the biodiversity in the marine ecosystem, it said. Coast Guard Station Mandapam is located in Ramanathapuram district about 550 km from here.
The Indian Coast Guard (CG) has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for nine more Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs). The HAL on Tuesday handed over the last of the 16 ALHs (Mk-III, Maritime role) contracted with the CG at a programme here. We are proud to be associated with HAL and happy to issue a Letter of Intent for nine more helicopters," DG Coast Guard V S Pathania was quoted as saying in an HAL statement. "Despite COVID-19, HAL delivered all the helicopters at the shortest time with seamless production activities and this allows us to strengthen India's Maritime security, he said. The CG signed a contract with HAL for supply of 16 ALH Mk III in March 2017. ALH Mk III is indigenously designed, developed and produced by Bengaluru-headquartered HAL. The company has so far produced more than 330 ALHs, a helicopter which has logged more than 3.74 lakhs of flying hours, it said.
The Coast Guard has apprehended two Sri Lankan fishing boats with 11 crew onboard for fishing in Indian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and escorted them to Kakinada for further investigation. The fishing boats from the neighbouring country were apprehended by ICGS Vigraha, about 175 nautical miles from Kalingapatnam, on November 10 and brought to the shore on Saturday for interrogation. The Lankan vessels were engaged in fishing in Indian EEZ without valid licences and documents, according to an official release. As per the Maritime Zones of India Act 1981, fishing and poaching by foreign vessels in Indian EEZ is an offence and the Lankan vessels violated the Act along with provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Joint investigation and rummaging is being carried out with Marine Police, Fisheries Department, Customs and Intelligence Bureau at Kakinada. Subsequently, the fishing boats and crew will be handed over to Marine Fisheries Department and
Indian authorities on Monday apprehended a Pakistani ship on the Indian side of the Arabian sea near Gujarat, with the consignment of heroin worth Rs 280 crores.The Pakistani ship named "Al-Haj", with 9 member crew, was apprehended in a joint operation by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Gujarat and India Coast Guard."In joint Ops with ATS Gujarat, India Coast Guard ships apprehended Pak ship Al Haj with 09 crew in the Indian side of the Arabian sea with heroin worth 280 crores. Boat being brought to Jakhau for investigation," the PRO Defence Gujarat tweeted.The boat is being brought to Jakhau for investigation.More information is awaited in this regard.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will commission offshore patrol vessel Vigraha of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Chennai on Saturday, the defence ministry said. "The ship will be based in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and operate on the eastern seaboard under the operational and administrative control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (East)," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The 98-meter vessel, with a complement of 11 officers and 110 sailors, has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro Ship Building Limited, it mentioned. The vessel is fitted with advanced technology radars, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery capable of operating in tropical sea conditions, the statement said. "The ship is also designed to carry one twin-engine helicopter and four high-speed boats for boarding operation, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol," it stated. The ICG, with this ship joining the fleet, will have 157 ships .
The Indian Coast Guard on Monday said all the 265 boats, which were reported to be in the Bay of Bengal by fisheries authorities, have returned to harbour in view of cyclone Yaas. The cyclone is very likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around May 26 noon as a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. It is expected to bring in winds of 155 to 165 kmph, gusting up to 180 kmph. "Consistent efforts of the ICG ensured all 265 boats reported at sea by fisheries authorities safely returned harbour," the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) tweeted. It said its disaster response teams, ships and aircraft are on standby. Moreover, the ICG is maintaining close liaison with state administrations and other stakeholders to deal with any situation, the coast guard said. The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclone Yaas in the early hours of Monday and it is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, the India ...