Trawler missing, surveillance stepped up in Vasai, Dahanu

The fishing boat was last anchored at Pachu Bandar, Vasai, on Oct 31; its helper is also untraceable

The Indian Coast Guard and marine police have stepped up patrolling in the sea and along the shore in Vasai and Dahanu after a local fisherman’s boat went missing.  The fisherman, Peter Dambar, filed a complaint with the police and customs authorities on November 2, saying his boat Sav Pedru was stolen on October 31 from Pachu Bandar in Vasai West where it had been anchored.

The helper Vikas, who was on the fishing vessel, is also untraceable, reads Dambar’s complaint. Commandant BK Singh of the Indian Coast Guards, Dahanu, said efforts are being made to trace the fishing trawler.  “After receiving the complaint, we have flown one helicopter and one ship has also been deployed to trace the missing boat of the fisherman. Our search team members have been given the photograph of the fishing trawler,” Commandant Singh told mid-day.

Peter Dambar, boat owner (right) Helper Akash, who was on the boat when it went missing

Asked if the boat could have crossed the international waters, Commandant Singh said, “Nothing can be said at present as our search operation is still underway in Vasai and Dahanu areas.” Since it’s a coastal theft, the marine police are also probing into the complaint.  The government has been giving much thrust to coastal security, particularly after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The attackers had hijacked an Indian boat, the Kuber, to reach the city. 

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Dambar said, “We were about to venture into the sea. All the expensive 25 fishing nets, 200 litres of diesel and ice in bulk to store fish had been kept on the boat. Helper Akash was sleeping on the boat which we had anchored at Pachu Bandar.” “I got to know about it [theft] on November 1 when neighbouring fishermen told me that they saw my boat venturing into the sea,” he said. Social activist Satish Gamjya said, “We also visited the helper’s home in Palghar but he was not available. The price of the fishing boat is Rs 35-40 lakh.”

“One fishing net costs around Rs 70,000. The boat owner had stored grocery items for daily use in the sea and ice cubes to store fish. The poor fisherman is worried as the boat is his only source of income,” Gamjya said. The activist said Akash had recently joined Dambar’s trawler. “Previously he [Akash] would work in south Mumbai as a helper. The chances are high that he might have entered Mumbai,” he said. At the time of going to the press, Dambar had reached the Vasai police station to get an FIR registered.

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