Paradip: Interpreters have been brought from Vietnam to help in the interrogation of the crew members following the seizure of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from a cargo ship anchored at Paradip port in Odisha;s Jagatsinghpur district.
According to sources, the Customs department has brought two interpreters from Vietnam to ensure proper interrogation of the 22 crew members in their language.
It may be noted here that Customs officials probing the seizure of cocaine worth over Rs 220 crore from the Denmark-bound cargo ship on December 1 were in a tizzy as the investigators found it tough to elicit vital international drug cartel links in the case because of the language barrier.
All the 22 crew members, who are all from Vietnam, have been detained and are being questioned to ascertain the source of the banned drug seized from the vessel. However, no significant progress could be made by the investigating officials as the crews now under Customs’ custody speak Vietnamese only.
They are not well-versed in any other language including English. That’s why the Customs officials have sought the services of interpreters, who could speak and understand the spoken language of the detained crew members, sources said.
All the crew members working onboard the ship are from Vietnam. The ship is registered in Panama and is operated by the Asia Pacific Shipping Co. Ltd. The suspected ship is having its last port of call from Gresik Port, Indonesia and destined to Denmark.
Acting on information that suspected narcotics drugs packets are concealed in Panama registered Ship, MV Debi berthed at Paradip International Cargo Terminal, Paradip that had arrived from Gresik port, Indonesia in ballast, Customs officers of Bhubaneswar Customs (preventive) Commissionerate searched the ship.
During the search, 22 packets (wrapped and affixed with magnet) were recovered from the cranes of the ship containing a hardened but brittle white substance suspected to be narcotic drugs.
Initial testing by the Special Intelligence and Investigation (SIIB) team of the Bhubaneswar Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate revealed that the substance is Cocaine, a narcotic drug under the NDPS Act 1985. A total of 22 kg of such drugs valued at around Rs. 220 crore in the international grey market was recovered.
This was stated to be the first case of seizure of cocaine or any other banned drug substances under NDPS Act in Paradip port.
