A Tanzanian crew member, identified as Ngingite Nassoro Jummanne, jumped into the Arabian Sea from a cargo vessel off the Mundra coast in a desperate attempt to evade a joint operation by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard on the night of May 25-26. Investigators believe the frantic moments before his leap were his last, as he has been missing since.
Panic on board as law enforcement closes in
A senior police officer who witnessed the operation recalled that Jummanne appeared terrified as teams boarded the vessel. “He ran from one side of the ship to another, desperately looking for a way out. It appeared he was trying to figure out how to escape the agencies,” the officer said. What followed was a split-second decision that may have cost him his life.
Leap from a height of eight storeys
According to police, Jummanne climbed to the upper deck of the vessel and jumped into the sea from a height comparable to an eight-storey building. The waters below were rough, and the currents were unusually strong. “When he hit the water chest-first, he did not appear to make any movement. We believe the impact may have rendered him unconscious. After that, he was swept away by the current,” the officer added.
Capable swimmer but no match for conditions
Jummanne was known among crew members as a capable swimmer, but even that skill offered little protection against the conditions that night. Search teams from the Coast Guard continued combing the waters for two days, but neither the crewman nor a missing packet of cocaine allegedly discarded during the operation could be traced.
Role in concealing cocaine consignment
Police officers said Jummanne had been staying in a well-furnished cabin aboard the MV Europe and allegedly played a key role in concealing the 115kg cocaine consignment inside the vessel’s motor room. The operation was part of a crackdown on drug smuggling along the Gujarat coast.
