The stand-off continued when reports last came in with security agencies drawing up plans to evict the crew. The Navy and Coast Guard have been put on alert.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman said preliminary investigations of the ship's cargo ``confirmed our worst apprehensions.''

Earlier in the day, the controversial cargo, contained in 177 wooden crates, was removed from the ship and formally seized after experts from the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and other defence agencies certified that it couldbe used for making missiles and warheads. However, Customs and DRI remained tight-lipped, while the DRDO experts could not be reached. The cargo is now on one of the jetties, under heavy guard.

After the seizure, sources said, Customs officials asked the ship's master, Tae-min Hun, and his crew to surrender for legal proceedings. However, Hun, who had co-operated in the examination of the cargo and its unloading, refused to leave the ship, arguing that he had not committed any offence according to the law of his country. He also claimed that he had concealed nothing and that the bill of lading mentioned that the cargo was water-treatment equipment.

However, the Customs officials said it was a false declaration and an offence had been committed under Indian law.

The BSF was summoned after the crew physically resisted the police attempts to board the ship, injuring district Superintendent of Police A K Singh. Before the police could overpower them, the crew fled back to their cabins and lockedthemselves.

Interestingly, another North Korean ship, the Sal-il Po, which was loading soyabean for export, had been removed from the berth by port authorities on instructions from the Customs. However, no reason was given for this action.

The ship, which had sailed from the North Korean port of Nampo, loaded 13,000 tonnes of sugar for Kandla from Bangkok. It anchored at Kandla on June 9 and the unloading of sugar was completed on June 26. But the ship was detained on the order of Bombay High Court, passed in a case of damage to a consignment of cables it had brought earlier.

In the meantime, the authorities received a tip-off that the ship was carrying equipment, meant for a missile-making factory in Pakistan. Defence experts were then summoned to examine the cargo.