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Bulkcarrier released after 15 months

An Indian court in the state of Odisha has released the 'Debi' after a detention of around 15 months on account of 22 kg of cocaine being discovered and for disputes arising out of payment of port fees for the vessel. The vessel had incurred around a million dollars in port fees during its detention, which had started on Nov 30, 2023. Paradip Port Authority filed an admiralty case when the owners refused to pay port fees, leading to a judge ordering the vessel to be seized. The owners reached an out-of-court settlement with Odisha's Paradip International Port for the fees. The settlement was reviewed by the admiralty judge, and the release orders were signed. The judge also ordered the owners to pay the court fees incurred by the Paradip Port authority in the litigation, amounting to around $27,000. During the detention, the 21 crew members were facing harsh conditions, as their electronics had been taken away, causing them to lose communication with their families. One of them jumped off the ship in an apparent suicide attempt, and a junior engineer was hospitalized. In Dec 2024, 11 crew members were released on the condition that nine other crew members arrive to take their place. As of Feb 25, the 'Debi' remained stationary at its mooring off Paradip in pos. 20° 13' N 086° 41' E.

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.