PARADIP : A district court has directed the proprietor of MV Debi, seized after the 22 kg cocaine haul by Customs departments at Paradip Port in December, to furnish Rs 110 crore towards surety and personal bond for release of the foreign vessel.
Additional district and session judge, Kujang, Parthsarthi Patnaik ordered Panama-based Asm Shipping Private Ltd to furnish Rs 10 crore as surety and Rs 100 crore towards personal bond with the court to get the seized vessel released from the Customs department.
After seizure of the cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from the vessel, the Customs department seized the vessel and sought Centre’s clearance for confiscation of MV Debi for illegal possession of huge quantities of contraband.
Later, Asm Shipping sent its representative Nquyen Quol from Vietnam to Paradip. Quol through his interpreter appeared before the court on December 27 through the local counsel seeking clearance to release MV Debi.
Local counsel Satyananda Biswal said the court has directed owner of the vessel to furnish the cash surety and personal bond to release this vessel.
After the Customs department seized MV Debi, registered at Panama, the 21 member crew onboard the vessel was barred from moving out. One crew member even attempted to end his life. Earlier, crew members’ mobile phones and laptops were confiscated for investigation.
Close to three months after the incident, probe has not been able to point at the source of the cocaine.