Detained North Korean ship leaves Indian waters
A North Korean ship detained over the weekend by India's coast guard has been allowed to leave, Indian news agencies reported Monday.
The ship was detained Friday off the coast of the southern state of Kerala after it dropped anchor in Indian waters without permission. An inspection of the ship yielded no suspicious cargo and so the vessel was allowed to leave.
The Hyang Ro was en route from North Korea to Pakistan's Qasim port near Karachi via a stop in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The North Korean crewmembers said the vessel developed an internal leak, prompting it to stop for repairs.
It is the second North Korean vessel in recent months to have mysteriously dropped anchor in Indian waters without naval clearance. In August another ship stopped at a spot in the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an Indian territory. That ship was also found to have legitimate cargo aboard.
India is stepping up patrols of shipments to Pakistan over concerns that North Korea is ferrying illicit cargo to India’s western neighbor, whose government is locked in a violent struggle with terrorists along its border regions.
Detained North Korean ship leaves Indian waters
