Vietnamese-owned bulk carrier released from Indian custody 15 months after drugs discovered on board

A court in India has ordered the release of a foreign-owned commercial vessel that had been detained for 15 months at the Port of Paradip after narcotics were found on board.

The High Court in Orissa has ruled that the Panamanian-flagged, Vietnamese-owned bulk carrier Debi be released after its owners and the Paradip International Cargo Terminal reached a settlement related to port fees.

The judge who reviewed the settlement said there was no reason for the case to be pursued and the ship should therefore be allowed to sail. However, AIS data showed that the ship was still at the port as of Monday, February 24.

In late November 2023, Debi had made a port stop in Paradip while en route to Denmark with a cargo of steel plates when a dockworker noticed suspicious-looking packages that were attached to the underside of one of the onboard cranes.

The dockworker then informed local authorities of the discovery, and a subsequent inspection revealed that the packages contained cocaine totalling 22 kg. The drugs, which were duly seized, had an estimated street value of US$25 million.

Indian authorities had also detained the 21-strong crew, which included 17 Vietnamese nationals. Eleven of the crew were released from custody and allowed to return home in December 2024.

Although Debi's crew were detained, no formal charges were ever filed against them since there is no clear evidence that they were aware of the presence of the narcotics on board their ship.