An Indian court has ordered the judicial sale of a Vietnamese bulker that was involved in a big drug bust in the Port of Paradip during December 2023.
Asia Pacific Shipping’s 37,200-dwt bulk carrier Debi (built 2012) was seized by the Indian customs department after a search conducted shortly after it docked at Paradip while on a voyage from Indonesia to Denmark unearthed 22 kilograms of cocaine hidden away on board.
The illicit cargo was not the reason behind the order to sell the ship issued by Justice V Narasingh of Orissa High Court this week.
In February a court in Odisha agreed to release the ship back into the custody of its owner upon payment of an indemnity bond and the provision of a bank guarantee.
Immediately thereafter Asia Pacific then got slapped with a INR 79.5m ($947,800) bill for docking overstay fees from the Paradip International Container Terminal (PITC).
Asia Pacific contested PITC’s arrest petition in High Court of Orissa. Its lawyers argued that the vessel was only liable for docking fees incurred prior to the ship being detained by the Paradip Customs Division.
