NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The state security agencies namely the Captain of Ports and police, besides stakeholders such as operators of fishing trawlers, shack owners, barge owners and water sports operators have been put on alert following message received from the Captain of Ports on March 6 by way of Intelligence input from the District Coast Guard that anti-national elements could have boarded an apprehended Indian fishing boat in Karachi, and likely to land on Indian coast and attack vital installations.
A highly placed official in the home department on Saturday said that the intelligence input received from the District Coast Guard as regards terror alert went to Captain of Ports and not the police department, as the CoP is the first responder to the naval intelligence.
“Normally we have a lot of inputs shared by various agencies, and the naval intelligence has direct linking with the Captain of Ports,” the official said, pointing out, “And in this regard, the authorities have well worked out standard operating procedures as to who is to be the first responder.”
“Therefore, if the District Coast Guard has issued such a threat message, then as per the coastal security standard operating procedures, the Captain of Ports becomes the first responder,” the official noted.
Speaking further, the government official stated that the intelligence message should not have come out in the public domain, as it is not a specific input. “Actually it is a generic input, which could pertain to any part of coast of India, which is spread out along 2,000 kms,” the official stated, maintaining that the message does not sound specific to Goa but for the entire country.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer told this daily that as a part of the routine procedure certain security measures are in place, especially the checking of vessels such as trawlers and others boats. “Keeping surveillance at the sea and checking trawlers as well as other vessels and their workers are a routine security measure,” he stated.
According to information, the Goa coastal police have nine patrol boats of which six are of 12 tonne capacity and three of 5 tonne capacity each. There are seven coastal police stations in the state – Siolim, Betul, Panaji, Chapora, Tiracol, Talpona and Harbour coastal police station.