Suspicious Pak boat off Raigad coast turns out to be buoy, security stepped up

Indian Express

07-07-2025

A Pakistani buoy, which floated off Indian waters, was spotted near Revdanda coast in Maharashtra's Raigad early Monday, following which security along the coastline in the district was stepped up.
The buoy did not have any persons on it, an official said, adding that it has been seized.
Buoy, with GPS trackers installed in it, is generally used to prevent the nets used by fishermen to catch fish from sinking.
Security agencies are, however, undertaking various measures to ensure that no one manages to enter Raigad.
On Sunday, a 'suspicious boat' named Muqaddar Buaya with a Pakistan flag was moving in the Indian territorial waters between 18 and 20 nautical miles from Colaba lighthouse and it eventually reached Raigad between 4 am and 5 am on Monday.
The Naval Headquarters in Delhi had alerted the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy regarding this.
Following the alert, teams from Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard rushed to the spot.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal, along with senior police officials, reached the coast to monitor the situation, the official said. Efforts to trace the 'boat' were hampered by heavy rain and strong winds.
However, it turned out to be a fishing net buoy and the Coast Guard reported that it has been carried into Indian waters with Class B AIS Transponders, the official said
On January 3, this year, a similar buoy was found in Gujarat's Okha, the official added.
However, all marine police station officers have been instructed to be vigilant.
The official said that various teams of 52 officers and 554 police personnel from the Raigad District Police Force have been deployed to prevent any possible infiltration and sabotage through the sea route.