Television sets, video-cassette recorders, refrigerators, beds and other household items on board were ripped from their fittings and ferreted away in bullock carts kept waiting for the booty. Even the huge rubber lifeboat was dislodged but abandoned about 20 mt from the vessel for fear of being detected.

The towering ship, registered with a Singaporean company, drifted to the Kalamb-Rajaodi beach at Nalla Sopara at midnight on July 3 and has since turned the shoreline into a tourist spot. Crowds still jam the beach for a look at the awesome vessel, abandoned during a squall at sea and left to drift. The local authorities have no clue to the vessel's antecedents and questions to their superiors have drawn a blank.

Two policemen have been posted at the Kalamb beach ever since the vesselgrounded itself about 200 mt from shore. The ship has since nudged closer to the coastline, and is now lodged amid the rocks about 50 mt from the sand.

Nalla Sopara police told The Indian Express that the responsibility of the Meng Kiat now rests with the Customs authorities and the police should not be held responsible for the looting. The Customs office at Vasai, however, said only the superintendent of Customs at Vasai was authorised to comment. The office of the superintendent of customs, though, said the superintendent would not be be available before Monday.

The aura of mystery and intrigue has, meanwhile, proved fatal for at least two locals, who were both lured to their death last week. Two more are reported missing, including a 12-year-old boy from Nandakal village.

Nandtu Deepak Das (25), employed with a local goldsmith at Nalla Sopara, swam out to touch the vessel for a lark on Monday afternoon. The restless tide took him to the starboard side of the vessel alright - and then bangedhim against the ship. Nandtu died instantly.

Nandtu had laid a wager with his friends that he could beat the waves and touch the vessel, says an employee of a beachfront hotel who saw his friend swim to his death. A friend of Nandtu, who swam abreast for a while, turned tail and returned to shore. No one has come forward to claim Nandtu's body, the local police say.

Raymond Almeida (28), a resident of Raiwadi near Agashe village, Virar, was the Meng Kiat's second victim. Raymond was strolling along the beach with his Alsatian on Tuesday afternoon when curiosity got the better of him. Swimming out towards the ship, he was carried away by the tide. While his pet returned to the hotel, to which it belonged, Raymond's bloated body was found at Arnala beach, Virar, on July 8.

A friend of Raymond who works at the hotel, says the latter had just returned from the Middle East, where he had worked for six years. ``He was a good carpenter and was doing odd jobs in and around Rajouri beach. He was also a regularvisitor to our hotel, and he used to love this dog,'' he says, pointing to the full-grown Alsatian dozing nearby.

Customs Officer (Preventive wing) John Minj told The Indian Express that he has not yet received any instructions from his superiors regarding the ship. ``I have not gone near the vessel since Saturday,'' says Minj, seated with his `sipahi' in a hotel about half a kilometre away from the grounded vessel.

The lone police head constable assigned duty at the beach, says: ``Despite repeated requests for additional personnel to prevent further tragedies and also for security on the beach, our seniors have not done anything. About a thousand visitors flock to the beach every day.''

The head constable of the local police station is lodged in a room next to the one occupied by the customs officer.