THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police had something to cheer about at the end of the first day of the two-day-long Triton security exercise - a concept formulated by various security agencies to check the coastal security apparatus in the State - on Tuesday. The alertness of the police finally yielded results as they neutralised two infiltration attempts made by the officers of various security agencies who arrived in the coastal area posing as intruders. The Triton security drills, repeated every six months, are performed to expose the chinks in the defence mechanism to thwart any sea-borne attack. The statewide exercise meant to evaluate the porous nature of the coastal lines holds significance after the recent firing on Indian fishermen by Italian marines. The concept of such a drill stemmed after terrorists successfully infiltrated into Indian territorial waters and spread havoc in Mumbai. The routine began at 6 am. As the city police chief was alerted about the drill, the police were vigilant from the beginning itself. Taking into consideration the economic importance of Technopark, 16 policemen were deployed to carry out checking. In their drive to ensure fool-proof security, employees of Technopark were frisked at the entrance. Hundreds of Technopark employees were stunned at the elaborate security measures deployed in the area. Those who dared to enquire with the policemen were told that the measures were meant to capture the terrorists who had infiltrated into the area. The tension in the area finally diffused when the police waylaid a three-member hostile team at St Andrews. The team comprising a Navy officer, a Coast Guard officer and a Quick Reaction Team member, who had arrived from Kochi by boat and docked near the shore of Puthenthoppu, were heading towards Kazhakkoottam. The second team consisting of two members were trapped by Vizhinjam Coastal Police at Vizhinjam port in the afternoon. The two members had arrived in a fishing boat and were heading towards the shore when they were apprehended. City Police Commissioner T J Jose said that the drill was a routine process meant to identify the security lapses. ”We were alerted about the drill earlier, that hostile teams would try to give a slip to the coastal security apparatus and infiltrate sensitive locations. The police team had a tough time countering them; but they performed well,” he said.
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