Security agencies continue to hold Chinese vessel at Kandla port

Cargo vessel from China carrying ‘engineering devices’ to be off-loaded in Karachi port is undergoing checks and scans by Indian security agencies and government officials in Gujarat

New Delhi: Indian security agencies continue to hold a Chinese cargo vessel at the Kandla port in Gujarat, over allegations of the ship transporting ‘missile parts’.

Suspicions are tiding up over the Chinese cargo hold of the ship, which was meant to be off-loaded at Karachi port in Pakistan.

As per sources, General cargo ship – DA CUI YUN (IMO 9451329) – belonging to Cosco Shipping Lines, had anchored off from the Jiangyin port of China on 17 January. The 166.5 meters-long vessel, then made a port call at the Kandla on 3 February, and since then has been anchored at the jetty no.15. 

Sources claimed that based on intel inputs, custom officials at the Kandla port instructed the vessel to anchor down for security check of their cargo. During the security check, authorities raised questions over containers carrying ‘heat exchangers’. The said engineering devices have multifocal use, witnessing them being installed in commercial air conditioners, industrial coolers and even in the defense sector – for missiles. 

According to port authorities, in order to determine the specific use of the ‘heat exchangers’ and drop-off site of the containers, the vessel along with its 22 crew members has been held back in Gujarat. Teams comprising of intel officers, customs, local law enforcement, and government authorities are still investigating on these lines, while checking the ship logs and documenting the cargo information. 

“We are confirming the information related to a particular cargo in the vessel. The shipping company and crew are cooperating in the investigation,” a senior customs officer told The News21 while adding that security teams have still not ‘red-flagged’ any container or cargo of the vessel. The officer denied giving any statement on the nature of the cargo under investigation. 

Meanwhile, attempts to contact the Cosco Shipping Lines in China remained futile. Repeated calls made to the company’s main office in Shanghai were unanswered.

However, the queries related to the seized vessel were responded by their Mumbai-based office. Requesting anonymity, an officer from the company said that the entire incident was a misunderstanding. 

“I don’t think, I can share with you all the details. But there is a misunderstanding about a unit (cargo) onboard (the vessel). They (Indian security agencies) have googled it and found out that it is heat-exchanger,” the officer said, in a telephonic conversation.

He added that the heat-exchangers are used at large for commercial air-conditioning units, small power plants, and other industrial uses. “It is meant for civilized, normal use. Authorities are going technical, they are checking, once assured, we will be fine. Till then, we are waiting. We are sure that, we will soon receive the clearance,” the officer said.

On the question of whether the containers stocked with ‘heat-exchanger’ were meant to be off-loaded for a Pakistan-based client at the Karachi port, the officer remarked that the vessel was a transit ship. 

“It is a transit ship, loaded and coming from China, then she will sail there (Karachi),” he informed.