Nearly three months after Customs officials in Odisha seized 22.2 kg of Cocaine from a bulk carrier owned by a Vietnamese shipping company at Paradip port, the Orissa high court has ordered its ‘arrest’ over the port’s claims of berth hiring.

In an interim order, justice V Narasingh of Orissa high court ordered the arrest of bulk carrier MV Debi till Paradip International Cargo Terminal’s admiralty suit involving maritime claim for recovery of dues of ₹7.95 crore towards berth hire and penalty is disposed of. “The vessel MV Debi be arrested at Paradip port. Prima facie maritime claim in terms of Section 4(1)(n) read with Section 9(1)(d) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Claims) Act, 2017 will be rendered infructuous unless the order to arrest the ship is passed,” the HC said.

A ship can be arrested under admiralty jurisdiction for any outstanding dues under Section 4 (1) (m) of the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017 which deals with construction, reconstruction, repair, converting or equipping of the vessel.

The MV Debi, with Panama flag, arrived at Paradip port from Gresik Port in Indonesia on November 29. Based on intelligence that few suspected packets of drugs are concealed in the ship, the customs officers searched the ship on midnight of November 30 and December 1. Twenty-two packets, wrapped and affixed with magnet, were recovered from the cranes of the ship.

Customs officials seized 22.2 kg of cocaine from the ship, the market value of which is estimated at ₹220 crores. At least 21 crew members of the ship including its captain Vu Kang Dinh are still on the ship since then that has been anchored around 10 km from the Paradip port. As Customs is authorised to deal with cases regarding port, it took up investigation of the case after initial tests confirmed that the seized substance was indeed cocaine and meant for European markets.

Early this month, an NDPS court in Odisha had ordered the owners of the ship to furnish ₹100 crore indemnity bond and ₹10 crore bank guarantee for its release. Last month, a Vietnamese national working as third engineer in the ship, was injured under mysterious circumstances before he was rescued.

Source: Hindustan Times