A 1,000 Twenty Foot Unit (TEU) feeder container vessel docks at Ballard pier in Mumbai after returning from a port in the Persian Gulf. Shortly after its arrival into the city, a blast from one of the containers rocks the Gateway of India, the Taj Hotel and the Western Naval Command Headquarters, shaking the foundations of South Mumbai's military and economic vibrancy. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the moral fibre on which the city prides itself come crashing down. The loss of life is tragic; the destruction of symbols representing our nation's economic, strategic and historical linkages is shocking. While the events narrated are purely a concoction of the author's imagination, they describe a threat that is very real and potentially catastrophic - maritime terrorism.

While India and a large number of countries across the world are engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, there has been a gross negligence in developing counter-measures to deal with the potential hijacking of ships and utilizing shipping lanes as an alternative front of terror. While maritime terrorism is not a new phenomenon, it has been used sparingly by terrorists, and for a large part has not received much attention on the international stage. Yet, there have been instances where terrorists hijacked an Italian cruise liner in 1985 and when militants damaged USS Cole, an American warship in Yemen in 2000.

Over the years, there has been a tendency to explain 'terror' on the high seas as piracy. In several respects, this has been justifiable, as piracy has remained true to its form - an unadulterated form of robbery for the sole purpose of one's own benefit. However, it is important to realize that piracy has evolved and spread, overlapping in to spheres which are recognized as terrorism.

Thus far, terrorists in the region have utilized their maritime capabilities for transporting explosives, weapons, money and men. However, with organizations such as the LTTE, Abu Sayef and the Free Aceh Movement possessing seafaring technology, it would be ignorant to dismiss frequent acts of piracy, which in several respects amount to terrorism.

With terrorist organizations having access to marine capabilities, it is essential that the Indian government implement adequate safeguards to prevent any untoward incident. India is a nation with an enormous stretch of coastline and 11 major ports, providing easy access to the interiors of the country. While it may seem improbable now, it is highly possible that terrorists could conceal 'dirty' bombs within containers arriving at bigger ports like Mumbai, Goa and Gujarat, detonating them by using a timer after discharging the cargo. Although safety measures do exist and customs officials verify the content of the containers, India does not possess state of the art X-ray technology, meaning that our counter-measures are only as good as the integrity of the person verifying the cargo. Apart from concealed explosives, ports such as Kandla and Vadinar have huge oil reserves and arguably the largest refinery in Asia, making them likely targets for terrorists intending to hurt India's economy.

The importance of safeguarding the world's sea-lanes and shipping industry cannot be overlooked. Most of world trade involves ocean transport, with up to 90 per cent of the world's cargo shipped through containers. Closer home, the Malacca Straits accounts for almost a quarter of the entire world's maritime trade, including almost half of all worldwide oil shipments. At one point, the Straits narrow down to as little as one and half nautical miles, a distance that could be blocked by hijacking one or more giant tankers, leading to a disruption in world trade, especially oil. It is in India's strategic interest to ensure that the Straits remain free of any potential terrorist activities and that trade continues to move unabated.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published an International Ship and Port Security code (ISPS) which was implemented on 1 July 2004. The code deals with terrorist related issues on the high seas. While every ship has to adhere to the plan and have contingency measures to tackle the hijacking of any vessels, the bureaucracy and long windedness of the code, renders it a farce. Ironically, the code states that the flag country must ensure safety of the hijacked vessels, and with most ships flying a Panamanian or Libyan flag, it remains to be seen how the international community will negotiate a terrorist siege.

While it would be wise not to exaggerate the threat posed by maritime terrorism, it is important to realize that it remains a possibility and that intelligence gathering, contingency plans and effective counter measures must be put in place. There is also a need to have greater regional and international cooperation to ensure that global maritime trade can continue unaffected and that international terrorist organizations cannot spring a 9/11 on the high seas.