Police have revealed that the "blood-stained" towel recovered while searching for a missing boat captain contained no traces of blood.
Mohamed Yusuf, the captain of a cargo vessel 'TTS Faana' that grounded to the reef of K. Kagi went missing on January 6 . While the events surrounding his disappearance are questionable, a stained towel and a knife wrapped in a black plastic bag were discovered 48 meters underwater by police divers who scoured the area for a sign of the missing man.
A month after the captain went missing, the police on Saturday revealed that the stain on the towel was not blood, and that testing had confirmed the stain to be from a mix of paint and glue. The police are still investigating to identify if the recovered objects are linked to the captain's disappearance, said the police.
While two expatriate crew members were aboard the vessel at the time of his disappearance, the captain was reported as missing one day after he went missing. When the report was made, the police were not informed that the vessel was grounded - the fact was only discovered when police arrived on the scene.
It still remains unknown why the boat grounded on the reef of K. Kagi. At the time the vessel ran aground, the two expatriates were aboard the vessel in addition to Mohamed Yusuf. However, the police noted that an additional local man was aboard the vessel following the incident.
While foul play is also suspected, the two expatriates were questioned and statements were recorded. However, no person has been arrested in relation to the incident thus far.
Mohamed is the only son in his family and the eldest of three siblings. The family has appealed to the police to conduct a full investigation on Mohamed's disappearance. No traces of the missing man have been found thus far.
