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.
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.
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.
