Odisha – India: Crew of vessel detained for cocaine smuggling to disembark after a year | Cannabis Law Report | How to order Skittles Moonrock online

PARADIP: After spending more than a year in confinement aboard bulk carrier MV Debi at Paradip over drug smuggling investigation, the 21 crew members have been finally granted permission to disembark the vessel.

In the first phase, 11 crew members are allowed to leave while the remaining will be permitted to disembark within 21 days. On Sunday, six of the 11 approved crew members left the vessel. As their replacement, six new crew members, four from Vietnam and two from India, joined the vessel. The 11 crew members include four from India and the rest are from Vietnam.

Immigration officer Manas Ranjan Dash said clearance from the Customs department enabled six new crew members to join the vessel. The remaining five will be replaced on Monday with all necessary formalities and passes issued by the department.

As per the customs directives, MV Debi’s owner Asia Pacific Shipping Company Ltd will be responsible for maintaining the vessel’s safety and functionality with the 11 new crew and ensuring the deployment of the remaining members within 21 days. The vessel must adhere to all regulations concerning manning requirements at Paradip Port.

On November 27, the 21 crew members of MV Debi had staged a three-day dharna aboard the vessel protesting their prolonged confinement after seizure of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore, and unpaid salaries. The protest disrupted routine operations, including running of the engine and refuelling, rendering the vessel non-functional.

Alleging severe psychological and financial distress due to the confinement of crew members, the vessel’s master Pham Nhu Nhat of Vietnam sought intervention of the Customs department, the Paradip Port Authority (PPA) and other government agencies. After assurance of their release, the crew called off their protest and resumed duty. Subsequently on December 23, the Orissa High Court directed the Customs department to allow replacement of the crew members.

MV Debi was detained at the multipurpose berth of the port on November 30, 2023 after 22 kg of cocaine was seized from the vessel at Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT). Despite the seizure, there has hardly been any progress in investigation and no arrests have been made so far.

Meanwhile, the HC has appointed the deputy registrar (Judicial) as the court commissioner to oversee the vessel’s sale. Adonia Offshore Consultants Private Ltd has been engaged to assess the vessel’s valuation for scrapping and trading purposes. The sale aims to recover Rs 7.95 crore owed to PICT for berth and other charges.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2024/Dec/23/crew-of-vessel-detained-for-cocaine-smuggling-to-disembark-after-a-year