CBEC Chief launches speed-boats in Mumbai
Legal Corner Icon — the image was hosted by the publisher and was not captured.Chitra, Ila and Koushalya - were former senior officers of the CBEC and now they will be guarding our shores. The three hi-tech speed boats launched in Mumbai on Saturday by Indian Customs Chief, PC Jha carry their names.
Chitra will cover Okha and Porbunder in Gujarat. Ila will patrol Valsad, Surat and Umargaon ports in Gujarat. And Kaushalya is for the Mumbai coastline.
These Category-I vessels built by a Malaysian company Gold Bridge are large air-conditioned boats, 20 metre in length, and are capable of a speed of up to 25 knots. These vessels can stay in sea up to three days and are equipped with radar, GPS, satellite communication and VHF.
The Customs Department will be acquiring 100 more vessels.
Is it consequent to the terrorist attack on Mumbai? We can't be really that fast - these were ordered much earlier but delivered now.
What is the Customs' role in protecting our shores? In tomorrow's world, collecting Customs duty by itself may not be an important job of the Customs Department - that can be even outsourced. Protection against smuggling of arms, terrorists and drugs may be the more important job of the future Customs officers.
The US Customs is called Customs and Border Protection - Is the Indian Customs ready?