Karwar (Karnataka): Security agencies and forest officials have initiated an inquiry after a Chinese-made GPS tracking device was found attached to a seagull near the coastal belt of Karwar in Uttara Kannada district on Wednesday close to a sensitive naval zone.
Officials, however, said that preliminary findings point to scientific research rather than espionage.
Confirming the discovery, Police of Karwar Town said the incident came to light when local residents noticed an unusually tagged seagull resting behind the Thimmakka Garden area near the beach. Finding the device suspicious, they alerted the Marine Wing of the Forest Department.
Forest officials who reached the spot safely captured the bird and examined the device.
The GPS tracker bore markings linked to the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, indicating its use for academic and ecological studies. “The tracker appears to have been fitted to study the movement, feeding patterns and migration routes of seagulls. At this stage,
there is no evidence to suggest any espionage activity,” the police said.