'First marine police station on Gujarat coast'

New Delhi, Jan 31: A number of marine police stations will be set up along the Indian coast to check smuggling of contraband and other maritime crimes, Coast Guard Director General Vice-Admiral R F Contractor announced today.

''The first marine police station will come up on the Gujarat coast within six months,'' the Vice-Admiral told a press conference on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Indian Coast Guard.

He said the Coast Guard would help in setting up these stations and train the police personnel under the coastal security scheme.

''This would ensure that our vast coastline becomes impregnable to small dinghies and craft that are used to land contraband to our shores,'' he added.

He said maritime terrorism, gunrunning, drug trafficking, smuggling and piracy were contemporary threats that needed to be countered by determined and coordinated maritime action.

UNI