Cocaine worth ₹220 cr seized from Indonesian ship at Paradip port in Odisha

The Indonesian bulk carrier named MV Debi anchored at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal was on its way to Denmark

Updated on: Dec 1, 2023, 18:01:31 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneswar: Officers from the Odisha Police, the Central Industrial Security Force (CIDSF) and Customs have seized 22 kg of cocaine worth ₹220 crore from an Indonesian cargo ship that had anchored at Paradip Port in Odisha.

A kg of cocaine is worth ₹10 crore in the international market. (Representational)

Customs officials in Bhubaneswar said an Indonesian bulk carrier named MV Debi, which had anchored at Paradip International Cargo Terminal berth on Wednesday was on its way to Denmark to pick up steel plates. On Thursday, a crane operator working on the ship noticed some suspicious packets on the vessel and informed the authorities who came with a dog squad, raided the ship and seized the packets.

Also Read: 2 foreign nationals arrested for smuggling 2kg cocaine

“At first, the packets looked like an explosive device. But after they scanned the packets, it was revealed that it was drugs concealed in small rectangular packets. We did a preliminary narcotics test, which confirmed the contents to be cocaine. We seized the packets and have sent the sample for further test in a government laboratory,” said Madhab Chandra Mishra, commissioner of customs in Bhubaneswar.

A kg of cocaine is worth ₹10 crore in the international market.

Mishra said the crew members of the vessel would be questioned about the cocaine and further arrests were likely to be made.

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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