Paradip Port Cocaine Bust: Court Demands ₹110 Crore Guarantee for Ship Release

Jagatsinghpur: A special NDPS court in Kujang, Jagatsinghpur district, has sought a hefty guarantee of Rs 110 crore for the release of the cargo ship, MV Debi, detained at Paradip port following the seizure of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore in November last year.

The guarantee comprises a Rs 100 crore indemnity bond and a Rs 10 crore bank guarantee. Additionally, the ship’s owners must appear before the court as summoned and are prohibited from selling or modifying the ship without court permission.

The court’s decision came during a hearing on a petition filed by the ship’s owners seeking its release from Indian Customs Department custody.

Customs officials seized 22 packets of cocaine from MV Debi on November 30, 2023, prompting an investigation under the NDPS Act, 1985.

The ship had arrived at Paradip from Indonesia’s Gresik port and was destined for Denmark with steel plates from Odisha.

The discovery was made after a crane operator noticed suspicious packets, leading to a seizure operation. However, details regarding the substance’s source, destination and involved parties are yet to be disclosed.