Arrange rifles, explosives found on boat off Raigad coast

Three assault rifles, explosives, and bullets were found on a suspicious boat off the Raigad coast of Maharashtra on Thursday. According to a report by news agency ANI, the boat was first seen by some locals in the Shrivardhan area who said there was no one on it. The locals alerted the security agencies. The Raigad Superintendent of Police Ashok Dudhe and other senior officials rushed to the spot and searched the boat.

The boat, manufactured in Australia, came to the Raigad coast, according to the available information. The investigation team found a number of dismantled weapons in the boat. The state police have issued a high alert in the district. The district police team is present on the spot, according to an India Today report.

SP Raigad Ashok Dhudhe said three rifles were found in a boat near Harihareshwar beach, which is about 200 km from Mumbai and 170 km from Pune. He didn't share any other information as the team is still looking into minute details.

Some sources said the crew of this boat were rescued in June near the Oman coast, and the vessel came to the Raigad coast.

The issue has alarmed the security forces as tomorrow, August 19 is Dahi Handi and Ganesha Chaturthi is only 10 days away.

Raigad MLA Aditi Tatkare, while talking to reporters on the spot, said she had asked the Maharashtra Chief Minister for a special investigation into the incident ahead of the festive season. As per primary inputs, a boat with weapons and bullets was found in Harihareshwar of Shrivardhan in Raigad. Local police are already on the job. I asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to appoint a special team of ATS and a state agency to investigate the matter, Tatkare said.

Security has been beefed up around the coast and adjacent areas. The Coast Guard and the Maharashtra Maritime Board have been alerted about the incident. Even the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has been pressed into the service to investigate the matter further.