Mumbai: Security agencies have intensified surveillance along the Raigad coastline in Maharashtra after a suspicious boat, suspected to be a Pakistani fishing vessel, was detected off the Revdanda coast.

According to officials, the vessel was first spotted late Sunday night on Indian Navy radar, approximately two nautical miles from the Korlai coast near Revdanda.

While the identity and origin of the boat are yet to be confirmed, initial inputs suggest it may have unintentionally drifted into Indian waters. “It appears to be a Pakistani fishing vessel, but further details will only be clear once it is intercepted,” an official said.

Security along the coastline in Raigad was stepped up after the vessel was spotted.

Following the alert, the Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard personnel rushed to the spot at night and launched the search, he said.

Efforts to reach the boat were hampered at night due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal, along with senior police officials, had reached the coast to monitor the situation, the official said.

Dalal herself attempted to approach the boat using a barge but had to return due to adverse weather, the official said.

A large contingent of police was deployed in the area and overall security in the district was heightened as a precautionary measure, he said.

In November 2008, 10 heavily armed terrorists sailed towards the Mumbai coastline from Pakistan under the cover of darkness and created mayhem for three days in the state capital, leaving 166 persons dead and several others injured. PTI