Odisha: 21 Pakistani crew members of cargo ship denied entry at Paradip port

Apart from the 21 Pakistani crew members, two are from India, while Sri Lanka and Thailand had one each.

Updated on: May 15, 2025, 17:27:23 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Security agencies have barred 21 Pakistani crew members from disembarking a crude oil tanker that arrived at Odisha’s Paradip Port on Wednesday amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Security personnel patrol the sea off the Odisha coast amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. (PTI Photo)

Officials said the Hong Kong-flagged ship — MT Siren II — carrying 1,96,580 MT of crude oil for Indian Oil Corporation, docked at the SPM (single point mooring) terminal of the port a day earlier.

The vessel had travelled from South Korea via Singapore before reaching Paradip. Apart from the 21 Pakistani crew members, two are from India, while Sri Lanka and Thailand had one each.

Jagatsinghpur SP Bhabani Shankar Udgata said all 21 Pakistani crew members have been barred from disembarking for security reasons. Prior to their arrival, the immigration department had alerted the CISF, the Indian Coast Guard, the marine police, and Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Hyderabad to tighten security measures.

“The Pakistani crew members will remain on-board throughout the unloading process. Once the operation is completed, the vessel will depart immediately,” the SP said.

After the vessel’s arrival, the immigration department directed all Pakistani crew members to deposit their passports and visas, and the documents will be returned after the unloading process is complete.

Since the ship was carrying combustible cargo, it has not docked at the port but anchored at the SPM, 15 nautical miles off the Paradip port with local boats carrying out the offloading.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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