 "USNS Bowditch, South China Sea, oceanographic survey ship")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi authorised a secret Coast Guard operation to intercept a yacht carrying runaway Dubai royal Latifa Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum after key national security officials advised it was necessary to secure India’s counter-terrorism and strategic interests, highly placed government sources have told Business Standard.
The unprecedented March 4 operation involved three Coast Guard ships, including the state-of-the-art offshore patrol vessels Samarth and Shoor, helicopters and a maritime surveillance aircraft.
India located the United States-flagged yacht, Nostromo, some 50 km off the coast of Goa.
New Delhi has so far declined to either confirm or deny the operation took place.
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