Orissa HC orders arrest of Indonesian ship from which 22 kg cocaine was seized

At least 21 crew members of the ship including its captain Vu Kang Dinh are on the ship that has been anchored around 10 km from the Paradip port

Updated on: Feb 24, 2024, 16:01:46 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Nearly three months after Customs officials in Odisha seized 22.2 kg of Cocaine from a bulk carrier owned by a Vietnamese shipping company at Paradip port, the Orissa high court has ordered its ‘arrest’ over the port’s claims of berth hiring.

The MV Debi, bulk carrier owned by a Vietnamese shipping company with Panama flag, arrived at Paradip port from Gresik Port in Indonesia on November 29. (Representative Image)

In an interim order, justice V Narasingh of Orissa high court ordered the arrest of bulk carrier MV Debi till Paradip International Cargo Terminal’s admiralty suit involving maritime claim for recovery of dues of ₹7.95 crore towards berth hire and penalty is disposed of. “The vessel MV Debi be arrested at Paradip port. Prima facie maritime claim in terms of Section 4(1)(n) read with Section 9(1)(d) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Claims) Act, 2017 will be rendered infructuous unless the order to arrest the ship is passed,” the HC said.

A ship can be arrested under admiralty jurisdiction for any outstanding dues under Section 4 (1) (m) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017 which deals with construction, reconstruction, repair, converting or equipping of the vessel.

The MV Debi, with Panama flag, arrived at Paradip port from Gresik Port in Indonesia on November 29. Based on intelligence that few suspected packets of drugs are concealed in the ship, the customs officers searched the ship on midnight of November 30 and December 1. Twenty-two packets, wrapped and affixed with magnet, were recovered from the cranes of the ship.

Customs officials seized 22.2 kg of cocaine from the ship, the market value of which is estimated at ₹220 crores. At least 21 crew members of the ship including its captain Vu Kang Dinh are still on the ship since then that has been anchored around 10 km from the Paradip port. As Customs is authorised to deal with cases regarding port, it took up investigation of the case after initial tests confirmed that the seized substance was indeed cocaine and meant for European markets.

Early this month, an NDPS court in Odisha had ordered the owners of the ship to furnish ₹100 crore indemnity bond and ₹10 crore bank guarantee for its release. Last month, a Vietnamese national working as third engineer in the ship, was injured under mysterious circumstances before he was rescued.

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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