French yacht Adriano seized in Kochi, India

by Juhan Samuel and Sai-World Asia on 16 Nov 2009 It's a timely warning for cruising sailors ensure that their documents are in order before entering foreign ports and never take their documentation casually. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) of India has seized a French yacht, Adriano, in Kochi after it entered the port without valid documents.

The fact that international maritime regulations and the convention of the sea allows yachts to seek asylum in the nearest safe harbour when in distress did not stop the initial traumatic reception for the yacht.

The incident created havoc among security and custom officials because the city is on high alert for being one of the main cities to be visited by David Headley, an LeT kingpin arrested in the USA by the FBI, for allegedly plotting the 26/11 attack in Mumbai. Headley was arrested on 3 October 2009, by the Chicago FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) at O’Hare International Airport before boarding a flight to Philadelphia, intending to travel on to Pakistan.

Kochi Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham said the vessel had strayed into Kochi waters after it faced a storm along its route. The yacht required repairs too. Security agencies verified the crew’s version about the storm, he said. The Commissioner said the international maritime regulations allow them to seek asylum in the nearest port in the event of an emergency. 'They didn’t have any valid travel documents except passports,' said Lovely Chan, an official with CISF. The vessel was given security clearance and allowed to go after repairs, the Commissioner said, adding that the travel documents too had been verified.

The Adriano entered Indian territorial waters on 13 November, and was detained during a routine surveillance by the CISF on Friday night. The yacht, with crew hailing from America and France, was originally on its way from Oman to Madagascar.

'Both the owner of the yacht, Pignol (a French national) and a US national, Malcolm Russell Williamson, were immediately taken into custody and were questioned by a joint team comprising of Intelligence Bureau, Customs and Immigration officials and CISF,'

Chan added. Pignol told officials they had left Oman on October 10 for Madagascar and were supposed to reach their destination in three week's time, but lost their way and drifted to Kochi due to bad weather.

The vessel was released today along with its two-member crew as CISF officials found nothing suspicious. The Marine Department, with typical Indian hospitality, provided them water and food to last for their onward journey.

If it is necessary for a yacht to enter a port without proper documentation - visas for instance - it is highly advisable to contact harbour control (a convention anyway) to request permission to enter harbour. At this time the situation can be explained and the yacht should not, if at all possible, enter the harbour before the relevant permission is received.