A year after the disappearance of a fishing boat believed to be carrying more than 240 people that left India bound for New Zealand, police and authorities remain in the dark about what actually happened.
The ill-fated vessel named Devamatha left a port in the southern Indian state of Kerala on January 12, 2019. This week, on the first anniversary of its disappearance, police in India confirmed to SBS Malayalam that a special team of police officers from Kerala would be sent to Australia and New Zealand for further investigation.
We have decided to send a special team of police officers to Australia and New Zealand, Superintendent of Police K. Karthick
"However we are waiting for the sanction from the Central government in regard to this," said K. Karthick who is in charge of the investigation.
“There is still no information about the vessel."
According to the media reports quoting the Director-General of Police Loknath Behera, police in India are in touch with police in Australia and authorities in other countries to get any details of the missing boat.
Investigations into what happened have been conducted in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Algeria where the boat was believed to have been possibly heading, according to reports.
Image taken from CCTV footage which Kerala Police say shows the boat used to illegally transport Indians to New Zealand. Source: (CCTV/Kerala Police via AP)
Relatives' desperate wait
Meanwhile, distressed relatives who are yet to receive any information about their loved ones are still hoping for a safe return.
Brisbane based Senthil*, whose ten relatives including his mum and sister embarked on the vessel told SBS Tamil that he was waiting for their return despite no information from the authorities.
“One year has passed and we still have not received any information about them. I suspect the Kerala and Chennai police are aware of what has happened and that they are not ready to reveal it,” said Senthil.
“Tamilians all over the world are celebrating Pongal now, the biggest festival of Tamil speaking people. But we are so upset that we are not in a mood to celebrate any festivals like Pongal, Diwali etc.
"Before leaving I told my sister not to go. But she didn’t listen as she already paid money to the agent.”
I want to know at least if they are alive or not
"Despite no clue about them, I am waiting for their safe return," added Senthil, who arrived in Australia by boat as a refugee in 2013.
Senthil also said he was in touch with the relatives of the missing people who are in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
A year on, and still no clue
Over 100 women, children and elderly people, reportedly from Sri Lanka and India were believed to have boarded this fishing vessel last January.
Police were reportedly alerted after the discovery of dozens of abandoned bags at the Munambam Harbour. Other bags were discovered around ten kilometres away near a temple.
Soon after the incident came to light, SBS Malayalam contacted the Superintendent of Police Rahul Nair who was in charge of the investigation at the time. He confirmed that a vessel had left Munambam Harbour with 'many illegal' migrants, but he could not confirm where the boat was headed to.
Photo obtained by Mathubhumi.com allegedly showing abandoned bags of Indian migrants found in Munambam. Source: Mathrubhumi.com
Initially, police told the families that the boat was heading to Australia or New Zealand, but even after a year has passed, they are yet to solve the mystery.
Many Indian agencies including the coastguard and Navy have coordinated with international agencies to locate the boat, but so far all efforts have been in vain.
The state police had also sought the help of Interpol and had issued a blue corner notice after it was confirmed that the missing people have not reached Australia or other countries where the police believe they were heading to.
A blue corner notice is an international alert issued to help track individuals involved in criminal activities and are suspected to be in other countries.
The relatives of the missing people gathered in New Delhi in June last year to plead with the authorities for any information about their loved ones.
Last year, relatives of the people on board spoke to SBS Malayalam and expressed their anguish.
Relatives of the missing people were in New Delhi to plead to the authorities Source: Manorama News
One of them was Kasturi, whose sons Chiranjeevi and Jagadish, were believed to have been on the boat along with their spouses and children.
“I have lost my family. I am praying to god, I have to know where they are,” she said.
Image
Relatives also alleged that middlemen or agents had visited their colony in Delhi offering jobs and large salaries, luring people to embark on the boat journey. They allegedly claimed that people in the past had reached countries such as Australia and New Zealand, using their services.
SBS Malayalam contacted Immigration New Zealand for any information about the missing vessel.
In a statement sent to SBS Malayalam, Catriona Robinson, Associate Deputy Chief Executive– Immigration New Zealand said that they are aware of the reports of the boat that left Kerala last January.
We are aware of reports that a boat left Kerala state in India in January 2019 and has not been seen since
Catriona Robinson, Associate Deputy Chief Executive– Immigration New Zealand
"People smugglers continue to express interest in targeting New Zealand and we remain vigilant to any possible venture. We work with our international partners to monitor and respond to potential people smuggling ventures.
The actions of people smugglers are abhorrent. They tell lies and are not to be trusted. They will take people’s money and not deliver on their promises – putting people’s lives at risk. The journey is very long and seas en route and around New Zealand are treacherous and people on such ventures will likely perish at sea."
"New Zealand has tough laws in place to combat people smuggling and illegal entry. People smuggling is a serious criminal offence and we will investigate and pursue those who seek to make a profit from exploiting vulnerable migrants."
"People wishing to come to New Zealand should do so through legitimate channels," reads the statement.
SBS Malayalam has also contacted the Department of Home Affairs in Australia. However we haven't received any response so far.
* Not his real name
