New Delhi, April 4 || While guarding seashores, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized 179 boats and arrested 1,683 people over the last 10 years for illegally entering Indian waters, the Parliament was informed on Friday.
A toll-free number 1554 has also been promulgated for reporting of any eventuality at sea, said Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
Replying to a question by Krishna Prasad Tenneti, the MoS said the 179 boats seized by ICG in the past decade were engaged in illegal activities like poaching, narcotics smuggling and illegal immigration.
He said surveillance of coastal areas is also undertaken through the Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) and investigation by Remote Operating Station (ROS) and Remote Operating Centres (ROCs).
Elaborating on initiatives to strengthen coastal security, MoS Seth said the ICG deploys 18-20 ships, 30-35 crafts and 10-12 aircraft for daily surveillance.
The ICG used Rs 12,201 crore towards acquisition of ships and aircraft and utilised Rs 1,583.8 crore for CSN (Pan India), said the MoS.
"The ICG assets ensure maritime law enforcement to strengthen coastal security and maintain rule-based order at sea. Surveillance efforts also focus on the Offshore Development Area (ODA) and seas adjoining the Island groups (Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep)," he said.
During the last 10 years, ICG conducted 3,00,296 Boarding Operations for deterrence and to establish identity of personnel, 153 Coastal Security Exercises, 451 Coastal Security Operations, 458 Security Drills and 3,645 Joint Coastal Patrol Sorties, said Seth.