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Tight security on Andhra Pradesh coast

Marine Police and regular police have swung into action and are verifying fishing boats and fishermen ID cards.

Visakhapatnam: With confirmed information that terrorists from Pakistan are trying to create terror in south India, security agencies intensified patrolling all along the coast. As Visakhapatnam is one of the key targets for Pakistan, all security agencies including the Navy and Coast Guard and all wings of the AP police including Marine Police started search operations to identify illegal entries of miscreants.

Visakhapatnam hosts the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command and has core industries including those of petroleum, steel, power, fertilisers. Andhra Pradesh has a 975-km long coastline with a large number of mechanised fishing boats and trawlers engaged in fishing. The IB and RAW have alerted all security wings including AP police to be careful to prevent illegal entries across the coast.

After the Mumbai bloodbath caused by Pakistan based terrorist groups, the central government has directed the state government to issue special ID cards to fishermen and also numbers to fishing boats and trawlers.

Marine Police and regular police have swung into action and are verifying fishing boats and fishermen ID cards. Police personnel are educating the fishermen to be very careful during their fishing voyages. They are also asking fishermen to send immediate alerts to police if they find any suspicious boats trying to alight on the shore.

Special branch police have alerted all police stations, particularly those located in the coastal pockets to intensify night patrolling. Police are also alerting house owners to be careful while giving their houses to unknown persons on rent.

“Not only Visakhapatnam city, there is confirmed information that Pakistan is trying to deploy some trained terrorists for attacking some important locations in south India. High alerts were issued to all security wings,” a senior official of the Intelligence Bureau told Deccan Chronicle.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) also tightened security arrangements particularly at the airport, Visakhapatnam Port, Vizag Steel and HPCL Visakh refinery.

According to highly placed sources from the Navy, the entire fleet of the Eastern Naval Command is geared up and warships and flights are ready to sail and fly for any range of combat operations.

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