26/11: If Jihadists Thought They Could Cover Their Back, They Were Wrong. FBI Traced Boat Used, To Karachi, Says Ex-Cop

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), using their vast resources, helped Indian law enforcement officials connect the boat used by the terrorists who were responsible for the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, to Pakistan by sending one of their agents to the headquarters of Yamaha Motor in Japan to help trace the person who purchased the engine, said a retired police officer supervising the investigation in 2008-09, reports The Hindu.

The inflatable boat used by the terrorists to enter Indian waters was abandoned near Badhwa Park along Mumbai’s coastline containing grenades, RDX, pistols, Kalashnikovs, mobile phones, raisins and almonds and a GPS set. The terrorists then jumped on to MV Kuber, an Indian fishing trawler which they hijacked, on 23 November.

The terrorists had removed the unique number engraved on the engine so that it could not be traced. The FBI had approached Yamaha’s dealer in the US for help and in turn was directed towards Yamaha’s office in Japan, said the official.

“The Yamaha official in Japan told the FBI that it was possible to trace the number even if it had been erased or damaged. They were told about a cavity at the bottom of an encase containing the cylinders, which, when opened, would have the unique number engraved on the side. The conspirators didn’t know about this number. The FBI shared this information with us, and our engineers were able to retrieve the number; the engine was then traced to a Karachi shop,” added the official.

This led them to Amjad Khan, an LeT financier, who had bought eight engines from the shopkeeper with the same unique number. The attacks in Mumbai claimed the lives of over 166 people, including six Americans.

The official confirmed that the number was vital to connect the boat to Pakistan and was later handed over to the neighbours as a critical piece of evidence. The pressure from both US and India led to Pakistan conducting raids and arresting seven people including Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of the attacks. The trial of the arrested people is yet to be concluded despite it being over 10 years and substantial evidence being given to Pakistan by both India and the US.