Security alert at Cochin Shipyard: Police probe 'I Love Pakistan' message found in vessel

A security alert was sounded at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) after a pro-Pakistan graffiti was found inside a vessel.

The vessel, which had been brought to the shipyard for refitting and routine maintenance, had the words 'I love Pakistan' scrawled on one of its internal walls more than a week ago.

This sparked alarm due to the shipyard's strategic importance to India's defence sector, apart from the maritime sector, which first led to an internal inquiry.

This later led to a formal complaint lodged with the Ernakulam South police, which has begun probing all those who had access to the vessel since it was brought in.

“A preliminary probe has been launched to identify the individuals who had access to that specific section of the vessel. We are reviewing biometric logs and CCTV footage,” the police said.

Though the police are currently compiling a list of employees, contractual labourers, and ship crew members who boarded the vessel, they are facing a significant challenge, as nearly 100 individuals reportedly had access to the vessel, as per an OnManorama report.

The latter report added that there were also no CCTV cameras installed around that specific section of the ship where the message had been found.

In that regard, CSL has also temporarily tightened access controls, mandating stricter identity verification at all entry points, as efforts are on to determine if the message was written before the vessel was brought into the shipyard, or after.

Indeed, while it is possible that the words may have been written as some sort of prank, the police have not taken any chances, with reports saying that central intelligence agencies might also join the probe if needed, due to the security concerns involved.

Notably, this is not the first time that the shipyard has faced security scares either.

Back in 2025, contract insulators working at the Udupi CSL were arrested after they were found to be part of a major online espionage network linked to Pakistan.

While an electronic mechanic was booked in a honey-trap-related espionage case in 2023, just two years earlier, the authorities exposed an Afghan national working at the shipyard using forged identity documents.

However, one of the most high-profile cases at the shipyard included the theft of equipment—including hard disks—in 2019 from the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant, which had been under construction at the time.