Explosives cargo missing, ship returns

Deep sea navy divers and search vessels have been pressed into service to ascertain whether the explosives have indeed been dropped into the sea. The Union Home Ministry has constituted a high level committee comprising the Mumbai Police, Customs, internal security organisations, Indian Navy and the Coast Guards to moniter the investigations and search operations.Some of the explosives were to be delivered to Bramco WLL — a road construction company in Bahrain — and the rest to Border Road Organisation (BRO of India) officials in Afghanistan, via Bander Abbas.

The consignment was exported by Hyderabad-based Premier Explosives Limited.

The ship, owned by Orno Shipping Company, left for Bahrain on December 22.

One of the directors of the ship’s Mumbai-based agent—UniMarine Agencies—said on the evening of December 23, when the ship was 25 nautical miles from Mumbai, the captain informed the shipping company that the sea was very rough and he would have to jettison one of the containers. The ship owners gave permission and told the captain to turn back.

But on the way back, the ship ran into ‘‘more rough weather and was forced to jettison the remaining five containers’’, the crew told officials in Mumbai.

Intial investigations have revealed container containing the explosives was the only consignment to go overboard. Rest of the cargo – into which the customs is inquring – seems to have survived.

Senior home ministry officials told The Indian Express that they were trying to verify whether the consignment had indeed been loaded on to MV Eugenia. Officials are also cross-checking their claim about the ‘‘heavy swell’’ that forced them to jettison the containers. The explosives, packed inside six containers, were reportedly loaded under the supervision of Navy and Customs officials from December 16 to 20 from an off-shore anchorage near Mumbai port. Explosives are never loaded or unloaded at the docks, said sources.

Officials from the Mercantile Marine Department, Customs, Mumbai Port and Coast Guard are also questioning the crew. ‘‘We are recording their statements,’’ said the State Director General of Police P S Pasricha.

The ship, carrying pulses, had arrived from Myanmmar on December 12. After unloading this cargo at berth no 11 in Indira Docks, Mumbai, it went to Karanja, an island off Alibaug, to load ‘‘heavy project materials’’ marked for Pireaus, Greece. On December 15, it returned to Mumbai, but at an off-shore anchorage this time. It stayed there for the next six days as the explosives were loaded.

Ministry officials said that the deep sea navy divers who have a fix on the alleged spot where the consignment had fallen over-board will be able to reach the container by tomorrow.