Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The customs officials have seized more than 20 kg of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from a cargo ship anchored at Paradip Port in Odisha late on Thursday night.
The customs officials received intelligence inputs that a few suspected packets of drugs are concealed in the Panama-registered ship MV Debi berthed at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal. They then searched the ship that had arrived from the Gresik port in Indonesia.
During the search, a total of 22 packets (wrapped and affixed with magnet) were seized from the cranes of the ship containing a hardened but brittle white substance suspected to be narcotic drugs, said sources.
“Initial testing by the Special Intelligence and Investigation (SIIB) team of the Bhubaneswar Customs revealed that the substance is possibly cocaine, a narcotic drug under the NDPS Act, 1985. A total of 22 kg of such drugs valued at around Rs 220 crore in the international grey market was recovered,” said a statement issued by the customs department.
All the crew members working onboard the ship are from Vietnam. The ship is registered in Panama and is operated by the Asia Pacific Shipping Co Ltd. The suspected ship is having its last port of call from Gresik Port, Indonesia and destined to Denmark.
Customs officials said the suspected cocaine samples will be sent to the government laboratory to ascertain the exact nature and chemical composition. Further rummaging and searching of the ship with the help of sniffer dogs is underway.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
