A yacht carrying weapons was found off the coast of Raigad district on Thursday, triggering a massive security scare across Maharashtra. Three AK-47 rifles, in dismantled state, were recovered from the boat along with ammunition and some documents.
While the terror angle was still not ruled out, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis added that the boat belonged to an Australian woman and it suffered an engine failure on the high seas. The crew of the yacht was rescued by a Korean ship, but the boat could not be towed and it later drifted towards the Raigad coast due to inclement weather, Fadnavis informed the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
The unmanned boat was found abandoned off a beach in Harihareshwar, in Raigad district. The Raigad District Police said a lifeboat was also found abandoned at Bharadkhol in the district.
After a preliminary investigation, the Raigad District Police said that the yacht belonged to a maritime security agency, identified as Neptune P2P Group – a multinational firm. The sophisticated weapons recovered from the boat were of ‘no use to anyone’ as they were in a dismantled state.
Security agencies, according to sources, contacted the company whose sticker was found on the box containing weapons. The maritime security company informed the Indian authorities that their yacht had capsized a few days ago in international waters and that the weapons onboard belonged to them. Though sources informed that there does not seem to be a terror angle to the discovery, all angles are still being investigated for security reasons.
Neptune P2P Group later in the day said that in June this year, they provided private security to the vessel ‘MY Lady Han’. The yacht was damaged amid rains in the Arabian Sea. The captain was forced to declare an emergency and while the crew were rescued, the yacht was unable to be salvaged due to the extreme weather conditions. The company said it was made aware this morning that the vessel, which was presumed sunk, had washed up on Indian shores.
“Neptune P2P Group are working with the owner of the vessel and the Indian and UK authorities to determine the official recovery procedures of the vessel and controlled items,” it said.
A high alert was sounded after the discovery and a blockade was also enforced.
The Maharashtra Home Ministry separately issued an official statement and stated: “According to the information received so far, the name of the said boat is ‘Lady Han’ and it is owned by a woman, Hana Lordorgan, an Australian citizen. Her husband, James Hobert, is the captain of the said boat and this boat was going to Europe from Muscat. Dated 26/06/2022 at 10.00 am, the boat’s engine failed and the sailors called for help. At 13.00 hrs, a Korean warship rescued the sailors from the boat and handed them over to Oman. The boat ‘Lady Han’ could not be towed as the sea was rough. The information received from the Indian Coast Guard is that the boat is stranded on the Harihareshwar coast due to the undercurrent of the sea. Both the local police and the anti-terrorist squad are investigating the incident and all the police units have been ordered to be alert in view of the upcoming festivals. The Indian Coast Guard and Central agencies are in constant contact and further investigations are being carried out closely.”
