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11 of 21 crew members released

11 of the 21 crew members of the 'Debi', which has been docked at Paradip Port for more than a year after 22 kg cocaine was seized during a search in Nov 2023, have been allowed to disembark the ship following approval of the customs department. The remaining crew members will be released once their replacements arrive. However, the ship will remain in custody. Of the 21 crew members, 17 are from Vietnam. The crew was allowed to get off the vessel in view of IMO rules that say a sailor can stay on a ship for a maximum of 11 months without leave. New crew members will join the vessel in place of those who disembarked. The ship was detained at the multipurpose berth of the port on Nov 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.

Crew protested against prolonged detention

At least 21 crew members of the 'Debi', which has been detained in Paradip since Dec 1, 2023, after the recovery of 22 kg of cocaine worth R 220 crore aboard the vessel, staged a protest on Nov 27, 2024, against their prolonged detention. The protest started when the ship was moored at the berth for supplies. Crew members halted al work.preventing the ship from returning to the anchorage area for several hours. ;aid many crew members are suffering from depression due to tthe prolonged detention. Despite the drug haul, no arrests have been made as the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL) in Bhubaneswar is yet to submit its analysis report to the Kujang court. In Jan, the Vietnamese ship owner's petition for the vessel's release was rejected by the Kujang court.

Orissa High Court ordered sale

The Orissa High Court ordered the sale of 'Debi', which had arrived at Paradip Port on Nov 23, 2023, and was destined for Denmark. On Dec 1, the shipr was seized by the customs officials after discovering 22.2 kilograms of cocaine aboard. The Orissa High Court ordered the sale of the bulk carrier not for its involvement in the drug bust case, but after the ship owner, the Asia Pacific Shipping Company, Vietnam, failed to clear the due related to berthing charges and penalties to the Paradip International Container Terminal (PITC). In Feb 2024, the Orissa High Court allowed the ship to return to its owner only if the company provided a bank guarantee and an indemnity bond. Following this, the PITC charged the shipping company nearly $947,000 for overstay docking. The shipping company argued in court, stating that the vessel was subject to pay docking fees only upto the time before it was seized by customs officials in the drug case investigation. The company also claimed the vessel had overstayed because of the authorities' investigation, which was not under their control. However, the PITC claim was found valid, and the court ordered the arrest of the ship on Feb 23. On Aug 20, the PITC came back seeking permission from the court to sell the ship, stating the shipping company had failed to pay the bills or provide any security. PITC further noted that with time, docking fees were piling up for the vessel. Moreover, the vessel was deteriorating, and the value was decreasing. The court ordered the vessel to be sold after the survey reports determined its value. The details of the sale will be provided after the survey report, which is expected to be available to the court in September.