PARADIP: The last of the 21 Vietnamese crew members detained by Customs department aboard bulk carrier MV Debi at Paradip Port over drug smuggling investigation, were released on Monday.
The crew members, who spent more than a year in confinement in the vessel following the seizure of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore on November 30, 2023, expressed relief and gratitude upon their release.
A crew member Van The Pham said, “We are really happy to be released from the custody of the Customs department after one year of confinement. We were confined without any fault on our part in the cocaine seizure.”
In November last year, the crew members had staged a three-day dharna aboard the vessel protesting their prolonged confinement and unpaid salaries. The protest disrupted routine operations, including running of the engine and refuelling, rendering the vessel non-functional.
Subsequently on December 3, the Orissa High Court directed the Customs department to allow the replacement of the MV Debi crew. Acting on the direction, the superintendent of Customs, Paradip gave instructions to the Immigration department, enabling the signing off of the 21 crew members in phases.
While Pham thanked the Orissa High Court for giving them ‘a new lease on life’, another crew member Van Hieu Nguyen highlighted the severe psychological and financial distress they endured due to their prolonged confinement. “We were harassed, and our families faced hardships during this period. But despite the ordeal, we ensured that the vessel remained operational,” he said.
Initially, 11 crew members were allowed to leave the vessel in two phases. The remaining crew followed in another two phases. To replace them, 17 new crew members joined the vessel in three phases.
MV Debi was detained at the multipurpose berth of the port after 22 kg of cocaine was seized from the vessel at Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT). Despite the seizure, there was hardly any progress in investigation and no arrests have been made so far.