City is still a sitting duck

As intelligence agencies warn of 31/12 sea attack, MiD DAY discovers why...

As intelligence agencies warn of 31/12 sea attack, MiD DAY discovers why...

Even as intelligence agencies warn of a sea-borne attack on New Year's Eve, the sea wing of Mumbai police is illu2013equipped to deal with a terror attack.

It's working with less than one third of its sanctioned strength to protect the city's shores.

Police sources said only 80 policemen man the 17 patrolling vessels along the Mumbai coast, though the sanctioned strength is 268.

According to the Mumbai Police's Motor Transport (MT) wing's records, only 20 assistant sub-inspectors of the required strength of 35 and 60 khalasis (or seamen) of the required 233 command patrol vessels. "We are short of staff and fuel too.

At Sea: Bullet-proof speed boat Koyna was pressed into service in September last year in order to intensify patrolling on the city's coastline. Police officials claim shortage of fuel for such boats forces them to restrict their patrolling area.

Additional fuel has not been sanctioned for vessels acquired after the Mumbai attacks. We have to ration the fuel, which restricts the patrolling area," said an MT officer on condition of anonymity.

Despite repeated efforts, MT's Deputy Commissioner of Police Kishore Joshi remainedu00a0 unavailable for comment.

Why it's scary

The shortage in staff and fuel comes at a time when intelligence reports suggest the marine wing of Lashkar-e-Toiba is planning another attack along the west coast of the country.

Selected targets include hotels and beachfronts in Mumbai and Goa.

Pakistan too has allegedly trained more than 500 naval commandos to attack coastal targets across the country, including hotels, atomic centres, railway stations and iconic structures.

Mumbai police have already intensified round-the-clock land patrolling in the coastal areas and deployed extra forces at police stations near the sea.

There are reports that a group of terrorists may have already carried out a recce of iconic structures in Mumbai and Goa.

However, Commissioner of Police D Sivanandhan said there is no fresh threat.

"But there is always a threat from organisations like LeT or Al Qaeda not only to Mumbai, but to every part of the country. We have to be prepared and we are," he said.

6
Number of patrol vessels Mumbai police acquired after 26/11

What Security?

Earlier this month, cops of the Sewri police station seized 12,000 litres of diesel in Mazgaon. The fuel, which was suspected to be either stolen or bought illegally from ships anchored at Mumbai harbour, was transferred from two ships to a waiting truck that was intercepted and seized by the cops a few minutes later. The interception has highlighted how Mumbai's shores continue to be exploited by elements beyond the reach of law despite all the security-bolstering measures taken after the 26/11 terror attacks. It has also brought the large number of unauthorised ships that ply the Mumbai harbour into renewed focus.