NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Stowaways paid bribes to board ship, turned away

The foreigners' regional registration office has directed the master of the hijacked Italian vessel, MV Med Star, to leave Indian waters, along with 14 stowaways and 20 crew members. The FRRO found that the stowaways had paid $ 250 each to an organised gang, specialising in smuggling people.

Commandant A K Verma, the chief staff officer of the Coast Guard (western region) told UNI that the ship is still berthed at Bombay port.

All 14 stowaways, who boarded the ship on June 8 at Khorfakan in Bandar-e-abbas, were thoroughly questioned. A joint interrogation team had boarded the ship for a third round of investigations.

The team comprised officials of the Research and Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau, Coast Guard, customs, Bombay police and others. The stowaways were also interrogated by the FRRO.

During interrogation, the stowaways confessed they boarded the ship by paying $ 250 each to an organised gang, which specialises in such rackets. Seven of the stowaways are Iranians and the rest, Iraqis.

UNI

EARLIER STORIES
No entry for stowaways: AFP
Coast Guard begins searching hijacked ship
Hijacked ship docks in Bombay
MV Med Star headed for Bombay
Coast Guard ship corners stowaways
Pirates capture Iranian ship off Kandla port

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report