Bulker Held for 15 Months in India During Cocaine Investigation Released

The Vietnamese-owned bulker, Debi, has finally been released by the courts in India after being held for 15 months. The vessel was detained after cocaine was found hidden aboard the ship while it was in transit, leading to a dispute over port fees. India’s High Court in Orissa signed off on the release of the vessel, which is registered in Panama and has a deadweight tonnage of 37,000 and was built in 2012. The owners owed nearly $1 million in port fees to Orissa for the time the vessel was detained.

Out-of-Court Settlement Leads to Release

The owners of the vessel and the Paradip International Cargo Terminal reached an out-of-court settlement, the details of which were not disclosed. The admiralty judge, after reviewing the settlement, agreed that there was no reason for the case to continue and ordered the release of the ship. However, as of today, the Debi remains at the port according to its AIS signal.

Suspicion of Cocaine Smuggling

The vessel was en route from Asia to Denmark to transport a cargo of steel plate when it made a port stop in Paradip, India. A dockworker noticed suspicious packages attached to the underside of one of the deck cranes and reported it to the authorities. Upon investigation, the packages were found to contain 22 kg of cocaine with a street value of over $25 million.

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Crew Detained and Released

Indian authorities detained the crew while they investigated the smuggling. One crewmember attempted suicide by jumping overboard after a dispute on the ship, which was attributed to the crew’s long detention. In December 2024, the court ordered the crew to begin leaving, with 11 crewmembers returning home on December 23. The remaining crew members were expected to leave once their replacements arrived. Reports indicated that of the 21 crew members, 17 were from Vietnam.

Calls for Fair Treatment

International associations have raised concerns about cases like Debi’s, where vessels and crews are routinely detained for smuggling charges or other infractions. Crewmembers have been convicted without direct links to the smuggling operation. Unions are advocating for fairer treatment and expedited processing of crews in such cases.

In the case of the Debi, authorities investigated but never filed charges against the crew. The concealment of cocaine raised questions about the crew’s awareness, with uncertainties about whether the crew was complicit or if the ship was unwittingly involved as a courier.