This, after most of the cargo has been unloaded from the ship and examined by experts from the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Though three big crates still remain on board and the ship is being turned around to facilitate their unloading, the contents of these crates are known to the authorities as they have already examined the ship twice.

Now, another round of investigation is to begin and officials are waiting for the arrival of interpreters. More curiously, Kandla Customs Commissioner Prem Raj today denied that the ship's crew had been placed under arrest, while a senior police officer of the district said only a case of assault on public servants had been registered at the Kandla police station.

``How can we arrest them unless their involvement is established?'' an irritated Prem Raj said. But Director General of Police C P Singh, who had announced the arrests yesterday, stuck to his guns. ``They have been arrested, but they are not in police custody. They are on the ship and the ship is under arrest,'' Singh said.

However, a port officer said the ship has been detained for investigation, it is not under `arrest' (in shipping parlance, arrest means confiscation). It was under arrest only from June 12 to June 30 on the orders of Bombay High Court in a civil matter between two private parties, the officer clarified.

Significantly, Prem Raj said carrying military cargo for a third country, after proper declaration, was no offence under the Customs law, but a misdeclaration certainly constituted an offence. Stating that this probably being the case here, the matter needed thorough investigation and the process was still on.

Said Prem Raj, ``We have to be fair. The ship's crew and all concerned will be heard after due notice for deciding their guilt or otherwise. We cannot say how long it would take.'' While the authorities are waiting for interpreters, the ship is being turned around for unloading the three crates which contain pipes.

Sources said proving a case of misdeclaration was not going to be easy because the cargo, which was recorded as machinery and water treatment equipment, could be used for various purposes, and not exclusively for making missiles and warheads. Therefore, investigation and adjudication are going to be ``a time-consuming process''.

A Customs officer said that besides the nature of the cargo, there were other grounds for suspicion. One was the ship's movement in the Asian region. The Customs authorities have called for the movement log-book of the ship from its owners. Also, Pakistan is reported to have figured in a message intercepted by an Indian agency during the ship's anchorage at the port.

Meanwhile, a police officer denied that the police or any non-Customs security personnel had entered the ship. The authority to board the ship lay only with the Customs or a designated immigration officer of the police, he explained, adding that the police, CISF, BSF and the border wing of the Home Guards, which had cordoned off the ship, were there only to assist Customs.

Another North Korean vessel Sal-il Po, which was removed from berth number three by the port authorities on instructions from the customs authorities on Tuesday, is being reberthed. It had come for loading of soyabean. The port authorities said though the Customs had given no reason for their action, security seemed to be one. The ship will be at the berth for about a week to complete loading.