Combing operations come to a halt at Uran

The Navi Mumbai police on Saturday stopped its combing operations, as it failed to nab any terror suspects after Uran was put on high alert on Thursday. Police officers will set up bandobasts near the premises of every school in the village for the next few weeks. A team of five officials will be present at the schools’ gates from Monday. Also, patrolling hours have been increased and a group of fisherman will maintain a presence along the coastline with police officers to ensure safety of the city.

Navi Mumbai, especially Uran, had been on high alert for the past three days after schoolchildren saw five armed men moving suspiciously in the area. The Navi Mumbai police, the Mumbai police commissioner, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indian Coast Guard, National Security Guard (NSG), the state police’s specialised commandos Force One and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have all been in Uran, verifying the students’ claims.

A Navi Mumbai crime branch officer said on the condition of anonymity, “On Friday night we carried out a search operation in Uran. We have combed each and every house and empty structure, including temples and mosques. We didn’t find any suspicious person. On Saturday afternoon, our team stopped the operation and we will continue patrolling the area.”

Santosh Patil, head of the fishermen group that is aiding the police, said, “We have been working here for more than 20 years. We know each and every boat owner. We have set up points around the area and created a WhatsApp group with the police for information sharing purposes.”