Customs gets high-speed Interceptor craft

KOZHIKODE: The surveillance and intelligence sharing along the state’s 600-km coastline will now be enhanced with the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate, Kerala being equipped with two latest high-speed customs interceptor crafts enabled with GPS and radar facilities.The interceptor boats worth around Rs 3 crore each and coming under the category II are capable for long range patrolling and high speed interception. Officials said that these crafts were in addition to the eight modern vessels under category I and III recently received by the commissionerate. Of the two new vessels, one would be operated from Beypore port in Kozhikode.“The new interceptor crafts would intensify the patrolling activities on the coastline South of Mangalore. Besides, it would bring in better coordination and intelligence sharing in joint coastal surveillance activities to curb smuggling and intercept suspicious vessels on the coast. Vessels under the category I could patrol from Kochi to Lakshadweep at one stretch,” said a top official of the Customs Preventive Commissionerate, on condition of anonymity. The interceptor vessels were brought to Kochi from Mumbai last week. Officials said that the main feature of the interceptor boats is that they can gain a maximum speed of 40 knots (nearly 75 Kilometre) per hour. While speed of vessels in the other two segments range between 25 to 30 knots. Officials added that the Commissionerate is eying to set up new parking facilities for the vessels at Fort Kochi and Beypore port. Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate was established in Kochi with exclusive jurisdiction over Kerala to ensure better coordination between customs and excise operations as part of restructuring the Central Excise and Customs Department by the Central Board of Excise and Customs way back in 2002. The commissionerate has additional jurisdiction over Lakshadweep and Mahe.