As the merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto was on its way to New Mangalore port, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has vowed to find and prosecute those responsible for attacking the vessel.
Singh stated that he would find those who attacked the merchant ship “even from the depths of the ocean”.
Rajnath Singh, Indian Defence Minister, stated that the Indian Navy has increased its surveillance of the oceans.
The government has taken the attacks at sea very seriously and has increased surveillance.
“We will find those responsible for this attack, even from under the sea, and we will take strict action against them,” said the minister of defence. Indian development has angered some nations, the minister added.
The MV Chem Pluto, a cargo ship carrying crude oil from Saudi Arabia, was targeted in a drone attack off India’s west coast in the Arabian Sea when it was en route to the port of New Mangalore.
The chemical tanker, under Liberian flag, owned by Japan, and operated by the Netherlands, was struck by the drone on December 23, approximately 200 nautical miles off the coast of India. It was carrying crude oil from Al Jubail port in Saudi Arabia to New Mangalore port.
There were 20 Indian and Vietnamese crew members onboard the merchant ship at the time of the attack. No one was injured.
On Monday, the cargo ship reached Mumbai port under the protection of the Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Vikram.
