WORLD> Asia-Pacific
India detains DPRK ship off southern coast
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-04 17:03

NEW DELHI - Indian Navy Sunday detained a suspicious ship flying the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that allegedly ventured in Indian waters in the sea off Vatakara, near the southern Indian state of Kerala' s Kozikhode city, Indian Defense Ministry sources said Sunday.

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"The Navy, along with paramilitary Coast Guard, spotted the vessel anchored in Indian waters. Immediately the ship, along with its crew including Captain Choe Sung Ho, were detained. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the ship was heading for Pakistan from Colombo. A search is going on to ensure that there's no banned substances on the ship," the sources said.

The ship, Hyang Ro, is owned by the Pyongyang-based Sinhung Shipping Company, the sources said.

This is the second time for Indian navy to have detained a DPRK in two months. A DPRK cargo ship was detained at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands southeast to the Bay of Bengal in August for allegedly carrying illegal materials. The ship was released after it was searched and its ship crewmen were questioned by intelligence agents.