Navy, security agencies hold coastal defence drills off Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM The Indian Navy and other security agencies carried out a series of coastal security drills off Visakhapatnam on Friday as part of Exercise “Sea Vigil-26”, the fifth edition of the Pan-India coastal defence exercise. The drills, witnessed from on board INS Tihayu, a fast attack craft of the Navy, included joint patrolling off the Visakhapatnam harbour by the Navy’s Sagar Prahari Bal, Customs and the Central Industrial Security Force.

The Marine Police and the Sagar Prahari Bal jointly monitored access to the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour, while an Immediate support vessel of the Navy investigated a fishing vessel treated as suspicious for the drill. Marine Commandos (MARCOS) carried out a slithering operation from a helicopter and a boarding operation on a merchant vessel treated as suspicious for the drill.

The Immediate support vessel and INS Tarmugli carried out coastal surveillance.