Raigad (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Maharashtra minister Yogesh Kadam on Tuesday said that a 'suspicious' Pakistan buoy, which was spotted in Indian waters near the Revdanda coast in Maharashtra's Raigad, a day ago, did not have anybody onboard, adding that an inquiry has been initiated in the matter.

'A part of the Pakistani ship, a buoy, was missing, and it drifted into the Indian waters due to sea currents. No one has entered our borders. Our coast guard security is quite competent, and we are definitely alert. Inquiry is underway,' said the minister Kadam.

Maharashtra Police tightened security along the Raigad coastline after being informed by the India Coast Guard on July 6 that a 'suspicious object' was spotted near the Korlai coast in the jurisdiction of Raigad district police.

The security scare came after the Indian Coast Guard Security in New Delhi alerted the Coast Guard in Murud that a Pakistani boat named 'Muqadar Boya 99' was spotted approximately 2.5 to 3 nautical miles in the Arabian Sea offshore near the Korlai coast, the Raigad district police said in a statement.

Following the alert, teams from Raigad Police, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), Quick Response Team (QRT), the Navy and the Coast Guard rushed to the spot. 'Upon receiving the intel, the Superintendent of Police (SP) along with Additional SP, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), and other related officers rushed to the given coordinates without delay,' the Raigad Police said.

A total of 19 armed checkpoints were established across all police station areas in the district, especially along the coastal and creek regions. Suspicious vehicles and persons were thoroughly checked. Searches were also conducted in all hotels, lodges, and resorts in the district, police said.

With coordination from the Indian Coast Guard, search operations were carried out in the sea using their vessels. Further, police said that coordination was also done with the Indian Navy, Customs, Maharashtra Maritime Board, and Fisheries Department to gather more information and intensify the search for the suspicious boat.

Drone surveillance was conducted in the Korlai coastal area by the Fisheries and Forest Departments of Alibag and marine patrolling was increased with the Coast Guard also conducted aerial surveillance using helicopters ,Raigad Police said.

Raigad Police also deployed 52 officers and 554 constables in various teams actively participating in search operation and to prevent any possible infiltration and sabotage through the sea route.

Alongside, Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate was alerted and instructed to increase vigilance and conduct thorough checks. Neighbouring district police units were also warned, police said in the statement.

Meanwhile, Raigad Police said that as per information received, the 'suspicious object' spotted in Indian waters is likely a fishing net buoy fitted with a GPS tracker, used to prevent nets from sinking and to ease retrieval.

The Indian Coast Guard reported that the object- suspected as a boat transponder or buoy with AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponder--likely drifted into Indian waters due to sea currents.

According to the Police, a similar incident had occured earlier on January 3, this year when a similar buoy was found in Gujarat's Okha. (ANI)