Boat with weapons owned by Australian woman, reached Raigad due to high tide: Devendra Fadnavis

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Aug 18, 2022: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the suspicious boat, with three AK-47 rifles, explosives and bullets found off the Raigad coast on Thursday, belongs to an Australian woman and the boat was going from Muscat to Europe.

 

The deputy chief minister further assured that the boat broke down and drifted towards the Raigad coast due to high tide. The weapons found in the boat caused a terror scare, with the state administration issuing a high alert.

Addressing the media, Fadnavis said, "The government is not ruling out a terror angle. The boat drifted due to the high tide. The boat was going from Europe to Muscat. It is owned by an Australian woman."

Earlier in the day, a 16-meter-long boat named Ladyhan was found wrecked on the Raigad coast by local fishermen. The boat with weapons was inspected by the police and other relevant agencies were informed.

The deputy chief minister said that the boat with arms belonged to Hana Lordorgan, an Australian citizen, and her husband, James Hobert, was the captain of the said boat which was on its way to Europe from Muscat.

"The boat’s engine failed and the sailors called for help. A Korean warship rescued the sailors from the boat and handed them over to Oman. The boat could not be towed due to rough seas. The information received from the Indian Coast Guard is that the boat is stranded on the Harihareshwar coast due to the under current of the sea," Fadnavis said.

Both the local police and the anti-terrorist squad are investigating the incident and alert orders have been issued to all police units in view of the upcoming festivals, he added.

Courtesy: India Today