As the search of the ship by defence and security experts continued today, the port and customs authorities remained tight-lipped. As for the police, special IGP P.P. Aagja said: ``We are out of picture. We will move in only when a complaint is lodged.''

Among those examining the cargo in 177 wooden crates is a team of experts from Defence Reasearch and Development Organisation (DRDO), headed by Deputy Director Surendra Kumar, who has come from Hyderabad, and experts from defence organisations in Maharashtra and Orissa.

The equipment already found is said to include ``rolled steel metal frustum'', a plate bending machine, heavy duty press, sophisticated lathes, electronic weighing machines, theodolites, precision welding machinesand water refining machines.

Rolled steel frustum is reportedly used for reinforcing missile nose cones, plate bending machines can be used for rolling metal plates to make rocket motor castings.

However, torroidal air bottles are used for making mid-course correction in warheads, while theodolites are used for integration of a missile with its launcher.

Customs officers refused to confirm anything, saying only experts could comment authoritatively. None of the experts could be reached. Sources said some of them had left for their headquarters along with the literature accompanying the equipment and photographs.

Sources said the ship, with a crew of 44, had sailed from the Korean port of Nampo and had a stop-over at Bangkok where it loaded 13,000 tonne sugar for Kandla. It anchored at Kandla on June 9, and the unloading of sugar was completed on June 26.

N.M. Kewalramani, Director of Aditya Transport Cargo (ACT) at Kandla, which handled the sugar on behalf of Indian importers, denied knowledge ofthe ship's other cargo. ``Our only job was to unload our client's cargo, which was sugar,'' he said, adding that he had not visited the ship nor met any of its crew.