'Terror boat': Satellite phones tracked by NTRO remained active until Jan 4

New details emerging from intelligence agencies suggest that the satellite phones used to track the suspected 'terror boat' which caught fire and subsequently sank 365 kms from Porbandar early on January 1 were active for three days after the incident. 

According to sources quoted in Times of India, the boat that blew up was located using the Thuraya phone on board. The only puzzling aspect of the whole operation was how the two satellite phones remained operational till January 4th, three days after the incident. The phones during this period were in contact with numbers in the UAE and Thailand.

Two Thuraya satellite phone numbers were being monitored by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and another agency for months as they were suspected of being part of a smuggling racket.  The Coast Guard was alerted on 31st December to a possible illicit transaction taking place near the maritime border of India. 

The Coast Guard undertook a sea-air coordinated search to locate the suspect ship based on this information and a Coast Guard ship which was on partol in that area was then diverted to intercept the boat.