Five speedboats to boost Maharashtra’s coastal security

MUMBAI - The Maharashtra Police Sunday inducted five sophisticated speedboats for manning the state’s 720-km-long coastline, an official said.

The boats, part of the 29 ordered by the state government, are equipped with state-of-the art weapons and communications and navigation systems.

The boats inducted include a high-speed interceptor and a 12-metre-long highspeed patrol boat.

The induction was done by Home Minister R.R. Patil at a function near the Gateway of India in the presence of Director General of Police D. Sivanandan, Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal and other officials.

Built by Marine Frontiers Private Limited of Mumbai, the boats can notch speeds of up to 40 nautical miles per hour and remain in the high seas at all times of the year.

Besides high class armaments, communications and navigation systems, the boats also have comfortable cabins for the police personnel with a refrigerator, a microwave and other requirements for long trips offshore.

Of the five boats inducted Sunday , three have been handed over to the Mumbai police and one each to the Thane and Raigad coastal police.

The remaining 24 boats are expected to join the state police coastal security force by March 2011, the official said.

The boats will give a fillip to coastal security in the state, especially in view of the fact that a 10-member Pakistani terror group sneaked into Mumbai by the Arabian Sea route to carry out mayhem in the city Nov 26-29, 2008.