Pak bound ship capable of missile launch detained in Gujarat

New Delhi, Feb 17: The Indian authorities have detained a ship bearing a Hong Kong flag which was bound to Port Qasim in Karachi. The ship was detained for wrongly declaring an autoclave, which can be used in the launch process of ballistic missiles, as an industrial dryer.

The ship which was detained on February 3 is currently undergoing a detailed inspection at the Kandla Port in Gujarat. In order to check the large autoclave on board, a second team of the DRDO is being sent to Gujarat, sources tell OneIndia.

The ship which is named Da Cui Yan carries a Hong Kong flag. The ship left the port on the Yangtze River in China's Jiangsu province and was bound to Port Qasim in Pakistan. The vessel was intercepted on the basis of intelligence inputs. During examination it was found the autoclave has been certified as a dual use item, which can be used both for military and civilian purposes.

The second team of the DRDO will visit Kandla today to further examine the ship. If the second team upholds the findings of the first team then the ship would be seized for violation of the Special Chemical, Organisms, Materials, Equipment and Technologies export regulations.

The matter has been brought to the notice of the highest security officials. Concerns have been raised about the presence of this ship and the matter is being further investigated, the officer cited above also said.