New Delhi: Security agencies and forest department officials have launched an investigation after a Chinese-made GPS tracking device was found attached to a seagull near a sensitive naval area in the Karwar coastal belt of Uttara Kannada district. Officials, however, said preliminary findings suggest the device was used for scientific research and not espionage.
According to Karwar Town police, the matter came to light on Wednesday when local residents noticed a seagull with a suspicious tag in the Thimmakka Garden area near the beach and alerted the authorities.
Forest officials reached the spot, safely captured the bird and examined the device. The GPS tracker was found to carry identifiers linked to the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Police said the device appeared to have been deployed for academic and environmental studies, including tracking the movement, feeding behaviour and migration routes of seagulls. “At this stage, there is no evidence of espionage,” officials said.
However, given the strategic importance of the Karwar coastline and the presence of key naval installations in the area, security agencies said they are exercising caution and continuing the investigation.
