High alert was issued after two suspicious boats carrying weapons were discovered in Raigad

After a suspicious boat containing weapons was discovered off a beach in Harihareshwar, Raigad district, a high alert has been issued throughout Maharashtra.

In an abandoned boat off the coast of Mahrashtra’s Raigad, police discovered three assault rifles—some sources claim they were AK-47s and were found in a disassembled state—and ten boxes of live ammo, they announced Thursday morning. Police have heightened security and are on high alert near the beach in Harihareshwar, where the boat was confiscated.

A lifeboat had also been found, according to local police officers, who also confirmed to news agency ANI that both watercraft were found to be empty. “Coast Guard and Maharashtra Maritime Board have been informed… police is taking the necessary action,” an unnamed cop told ANI.

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An official investigation has started. About 200 kilometres from Mumbai, the boat was discovered. Locals in the region were the first to discover it, and they later alerted police to the boat’s location.

Unnamed officials were cited by news agency PTI as saying that the crew of this particular boat may have been among those saved in June off the coast of Oman.

The boat may have then been taken by the tides and slowly dragged to the Raigad coast, according to the police.

Pictures released by ANI appear to show a white powerboat drifting just offshore. As the boat is brought back, a small group of residents can be seen assembled on the beach.