Orissa HC Orders Arrest of Ship From Which 22 Kg Cocaine Was Seized

The cargo ship MV Debi from which 22 kg cocaine worth Rs 220 crore was recovered when anchored at Pradip port is set to be arrested following the Orissa High Court's order.

Cuttack (Odisha): Orissa High Court on Friday ordered the arrest of the Panama-registered cargo ship MV Debi anchored at Paradip port and directed immediate action to be taken against the ship over the berth payment issue. Justice V Narasingha ordered the arrest of the ship and fixed March 7 as the next hearing date.

Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT) had filed a petition in the High Court and claimed that the MV Debi ship authorities were supposed to pay an amount of over Rs 7.95 crore to Paradip port authorities on the grounds of berth rent, fines, interest, legal expenses and other dues. The petition demanded the arrest of the ship.

Notably, on November 30, 2023, the Customs Department seized 22kg of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from the ship berth at Paradip port. The ship had arrived from Indonesia and was about to depart to Denmark. High Court Justice V Narasingha passed the interim order. The next hearing of the case will be on March 7.

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