Trio Flees Kuwait To Enter India Illegally By Fishing Boat, Arrested After Vessel Reaches Mumbai

Allegedly mistreated by their employer, the trio took matters into their own hands, setting sail without authorisation in an attempt to flee Kuwait.

New Delhi: Mumbai police on Wednesday arrested three individuals from Tamil Nadu for allegedly entering India via a fishing vessel from Kuwait illegally, a development that has sparked concerns regarding potential lapses in maritime security, news agency PTI reported.

According to a police spokesperson, the boat came under scanner off the Mumbai coast during routine patrols on Tuesday morning. Investigations revealed that the accused, identified as Vijay Vinod Anthony, Sahaya Antony Anish, both 29 and hailing from Kanyakumari, and Nidiso Dito, 31, from Ramnathpuram, were fishermen who had been working in Kuwait for the last two years.

Allegedly mistreated by their employer, they took matters into their own hands, setting sail without authorisation in an attempt to flee the Gulf nation and surreptitiously entered Indian waters, PTI reported.

Following their arrest, the individuals were remanded to police custody until February 10 by a local court. The incident has raised concerns about maritime security, echoing the fears prompted by the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, where Pakistani militants arrived via sea route, resulting in a devastating assault that claimed numerous lives.

"A suspicious boat was spotted by the officials of the Yellow Gate police station around 7.30 am on Tuesday when they were on patrolling duty in the Arabian Sea. The boat, which was of a different make, was found moving near the Sassoon Dock, following which the police patrolling boat went closer and found three persons aboard," the FIR stated, as reported by the news agency.

Prompt coordination ensued, with the police alerting the South Region control room for reinforcements. Subsequently, additional police boats and a navy vessel were deployed to the scene. The suspects, failing to comply with instructions, had their boat towed to the Gateway of India for further investigation.

During questioning, it emerged that the trio were fishermen, and the vessel belonged to their employer, Abdullah Sharahit, in Kuwait. However, they had absconded without authorization, breaching international borders and entering India illegally, sans passports.

Formal charges were brought against them under Section 3(a) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules for bypassing the requisite entry procedures. The Colaba police station registered a case against the offenders based on a complaint lodged by a 34-year-old constable from the Yellow Gate police station, PTI reported.