MPT recovers 7 cartridges, 1 bombshell while dredging seabed near Alibaug

The recovery of ‘seven cartridges and one bombshell’ while dredging the sea bed near Alibaug, hardly few nautical miles away from the Gateway of India last week alarmed Mumbai Port Trust (MPT).

All the recovered suspected materials were handed over to Yellow Gate police for further investigation and subsequently all the stakeholders including Indian Navy and Coast Guard were informed. The MPT officials were not available for comment.

The MPT officials found seven cartridges and one bombshell on February 6 at 11 am. They immediately informed Yellow Gate police station.

The Yellow Gate police station informed our Joint Operation Centre (JOC) of Indian Navy.

The Additional Commissioner of Police Pravinkumar Padwal confirmed the matter and said, “The recovered materials seem to be very old. The recovered materials have been sent to Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory (DFSL) in Kalina to ascertain how old the suspected materials are.”

An official from DFSL confirmed that they have received seven cartridges and one bombshell from Mumbai police and the forensic analysis to ascertain how old these materials are underway.

The Chief Public Relations Officer (Defence) Mehul Karnik told the Free Press Journal that the city police have informed them about the recovery of materials by MPT while dredging the sea bed.

“We have been kept on loop. The Indian Navy is not investigating into the matter. The recovered materials have been sent to Kalina,” Karnik said.

The length of each cartridge is nearly 1.5 inch, said the source.