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11 crew members of cargo vessel MV Debi allowed to disemark after a year
Immigration officer Manas Ranjan Dash said the remaining crew members will be released once their replacements arrive
Eleven out of the 21 crew members of the cargo ship MV Debi, which has been docked at Paradip Port for more than a year after 22kg cocaine was allegedly seized during a search in November last year, have been allowed to disembark the ship following approval of the customs department.
“We have permitted the release of 11 crew members after receiving clearance from customs officials,” said Manas Ranjan Dash, immigration officer of Paradip Port. “The remaining crew members will be released once their replacements arrive. However, the ship will remain in custody,” he said. Of the 21 crew members, 17 are from Vietnam.
People familiar with the matter said the crew was allowed to get off the vessel in view of International Maritime Organisation rules that say a sailor can stay on a ship for a maximum of 11 months without leave.
Dash said new crew members will join the vessel in place of those who disembarked.
MV Debi was detained at the multipurpose berth of the port on November 30, 2023, after cocaine estimated to be worth ₹220 crore was seized from the vessel at Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT). Subsequently, the Paradeep Customs Division prohibited any movement authorizations to be given to the vessel. Besides, the crew’s communication devices were also taken away.
Last month, the crew staged a protest over their prolonged detention at the port.
MV Debi started its trip in Egypt and made a port stop in Indonesia before proceeding to India. No arrests have been made in the case and the State Forensic Science Laboratory, Bhubaneswar is yet formally submit its report confirming that the seized substance was cocaine.
A petition by the Vietnamese ship owner for the vessel’s release was rejected by an NDPS court in Jagatsinghpur district earlier this month.
In February this year, the Orissa high court ordered the arrest of the bulk carrier after Paradip International Cargo Terminal filed an admiralty suit involving a maritime claim for recovery of dues of ₹7.95 crore towards berth hire, penalty as well as legal charges. In August, the court ordered the sale of the bulk carrier as it failed to clear dues.
