Bangladeshi crew questioned in Mumbai, back in Gujarat

MUMBAI, SEPT 6: Interrogation of the crew of the Pakistani trawler impounded off the Gujarat coast on Wednesday has bared plans to push B...

MUMBAI, SEPT 6: Interrogation of the crew of the Pakistani trawler impounded off the Gujarat coast on Wednesday has bared plans to push Bangladeshi intruders into crucial sectors of the country’s west coast with the help of the Inter-Services Intelligence. (ISI)

The disclosure was made after the Safina Madina‘s crew was interrogated in Mumbai by officials of the Coast Guard, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Naval intelligence, which found to their surprise that 18 of the 20 crew members were Bangladeshis who had illegally migrated to Pakistan via land routes in India. The crew, including the Pakistani master of the vessel, have since been handed over to the Gujarat police.

The Pakistani vessel was impounded by the Coast Guard off the Jakhau coast during Operation Dopsy’, mounted to thwart ISI infiltration via the Gujarat coast. The trawler’s master and owner has been identified as Noor Alam, a Pakistani national. His associates, Zainul Abedin and Abul Naser, were found without identitycards.

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Interrogation has revealed that the 18 Bangladeshi crew members had migrated to Pakistan via India with assistance from ISI agents in India just before the boat was impounded. Some of them had reached Calcutta and thereafter travelled by train to Amritsar before entering Pakistan. Since they had no permanent addresses, they were told to stay on board the fishing vessel. Some of their identity cards bore the names of fake hotels to avoid detection, according to an intelligence report.

Another intelligence report prepared a fortnight ago by the IB and Gujarat police confirm inflitratation via Gujarat’s sensitive Kori Creek, which is strategically located at the confluence of the Pakistan and Gujarat broders. On August 10, the Indian Air Force had shot down a Pakistani Atlantique reconnaissance and strike aircraft, alleged to have intruded into Indian airspace, near the Kori Creek.

Also, about 500 ISI-backed, Bangladeshi inflitrators are believed to have taken up position near Jodhpur at the creek.A large number of Pakistani fishing craft, used for ISI purposes, were also sighted near Pir Sini early last week, looking for an opportunity to intermingle with Indian trawlers.

Another group of 200 ISI-backed militants have taken up positions in the nearby Methi area and could infiltrate with agents Zunus Niazi Mohammed, Abdul Rehman Niazi, Faizal Pathan and Banaji. They are currently stationed at Bandur and intend to use small craft to find their way on to the Gujarat coast, intelligence reports reveal.

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Intelligence sources say the ISI is ensliting the support of Bangladeshis as they are present in large numbers in India and are therefore likely to avoid detection as agents.