Cocaine worth Rs 220 cr seized at Paradip port, Vietnamese crew detained

"Twenty-two packets were recovered from a crane on the ship. The powder-like substance was confirmed as cocaine after examination using a special kit," state Commissioner of Customs said

In a major drug haul, cocaine worth Rs 220 crore was seized from a ship at the Paradip port in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district, officials said on Friday.

Twenty-two suspicious packets were spotted in a crane on the ship anchored at the Paradip International Cargo Terminal (PICT) on Thursday night, they said.

After the crane operator found it, he informed the authorities, suspecting it to be some kind of explosive. After tests, it was confirmed to be cocaine, they said.

In a statement, the Customs Commissionerate said that they searched the ship around midnight acting on intelligence inputs and found the packets of cocaine.

The Panama-registered cargo ship, named MV Debi, began its voyage from Egypt and arrived here via the Gresik port in Indonesia. It was scheduled to depart for Denmark with steel plates from here, officials said.

"Twenty-two packets were recovered from a crane on the ship. The powder-like substance was confirmed as cocaine after examination using a special kit. The international market price of the seized material would be between Rs 200 crore and Rs 220 crore," state Commissioner of Customs Madhaab Chandra Mishra told PTI.

No one has been arrested so far in connection with the seizures, but the crew members of the ship have been detained, he said.

All the crew members are from Vietnam, officials said, adding that the ship is operated by Asia Pacific Shipping Co Ltd.

"Further rummaging and searching of the ship with the help of sniffer dogs is underway," the statement said.