LONDON, Dec 22: The search in a cargo ship off the British coast suspected of carrying terrorist material is continuing “inch-by-inch” and could take up to three days to complete, security agencies said here on Saturday.

The ship, called Nisha was intercepted on Friday following a tip-off, is suspected of carrying explosives or anthrax and so far no noxious, hazardous or dangerous substances have been found, according to a spokesman of the Home Office.

The crew, thought to be Indian, are not yet being allowed to leave the vessel. The British police are describing the operation as a “major security operation”.

The ship carrying cargo sugar on its way to Britain sailed from Mauritius and stopped in Djibouti, next to Somalia, which has been linked with Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.