Paradip: Crew members of a cargo ship, which has been berthed at Odisha’s Paradip port since December 2023 following seizure of 22kg of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore aboard the vessel, are now set to return to Vietnam after over year-long detention.
While a total of 21 crew members hailing from Vietnam are present in the ship, decks have been cleared initially for the return of 11 persons to their homeland. The Customs and Immigration authorities have accorded clearance for their return, sources said.
As the Visa authorisation of the ten other crew members had expired, the authorities are taking steps for renewed clearances and they are in touch with the Vietnamese embassy for the purpose. After Visa clearance, the rest ten will be able to return to Vietnam, sources said.
The decision to allow them to return to Vietnam has been welcomed by people from several quarters, while residents of Paradip have criticised the clearance given by the Customs authorities.
Notably, the stranded crew members had staged a protest in November over their prolonged detention. The protest erupted when the Panama-registered vessel was moored at the berth for supplies. Crew members halted all work, preventing the ship from returning to the anchorage area for several hours.
The ship was en route from Indonesia’s Gresik port to Denmark when the drug seizure was made. The ship’s seizure and crew detention were as per court orders. Port officials said many crew members suffered from depression due to their prolonged confinement.
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. Customs officials had presented the seized cocaine to the additional district and sessions judge on December 6, 2023.
The court directed customs to store the contraband in their malkhana, with samples from all 22 packets sent to the SFSL for verification.
Notably, the 21 crew members were detained after sleuths of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and customs seized cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from the cargo ship on November 30, 2023.
The Panama registered cargo ship had reportedly started its voyage from Egypt and arrived at Paradip via the Gresik port in Indonesia. It was scheduled to leave for Denmark with steel plates. It had anchored at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal.
The ship owner’s petition for the vessel’s release was rejected by the Kujang court in January, 2024.
Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court 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.
