Karnataka: Chinese-Made GPS Device Found On Seagull Near Sensitive Karwar Naval Zone; Investigation Underway

Bengaluru, Dec 18: A seagull, with a Chinese GPS attached to its back has been found near Kadamba Naval base near Karawar in Uttara Kannada district has raised suspicion of spying on the Indian defence system by the Chinese government.

The Seagull, which is now in the custody of the Marine Forest Division officials have revealed that the GPS had inscription of `Eco-Environment Science, Chinese Academy of Science', which prima facie appears as installed to study the feeding, movement and the migratory pattern of the Seagull.

The bird, appearing to be sick, was found by a passerby and saw the tracker attached to its back. He took the bird to the nearby Marine Forest Division office and handed it over to the officials. The officials are trying to contact the Chinese Academy and filed a case at Karwar city police station, who have initiated an investigation.

The Kadamba base and surrounding areas come under a high security zone. The base is home to INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and is on high alert almost all the time. Though it seems like the bird may have been fitted with a GPS tracker for a migratory study purpose, the officials decided to contact the base that is claiming to be from China, a police officer at Karwar said.

A few months ago, a falcon released from Maharashtra forest department and BNHS scientists had landed in Karwar naval base. The arrival of the bird with a ring on its neck had aroused curiosity of the security personnel.

Seagulls start migration after monsoon along the Karnataka coast. In the past month, Seagulls were seen in large numbers on the coast of Karwar and Ankola.