Rs 220 cr cocaine seizure in Paradip: Vietnamese interpreters roped in to make headway in probe

The Customs Department has roped in two Vietnamese language interpreters after the language barrier reportedly hampered the ongoing probe into the seizure of cocaine worth Rs 220 crore from a cargo ship in Paradip.   

Two interpreters who know the Vietnamese language have reached the Paradip port on Saturday to communicate with the crew of the cargo ship to speed up the investigation process of the cocaine case.

As per sources, the investigating team was facing difficulties while grilling the crew members of the seized MV Debi ship as they were unable to understand English which was a major barrier during the investigation process.

The Customs Department identified their language and called two interpreters, who will help in the investigation process.

It is to be noted that on November 30, Paradip Police, CISF and Customs Department seized 22 packets of cocaine worth a market value of Rs 220 crore from a cargo ship, MV Debi anchored at Paradip Port.

The powder was sent for testing following the seizure. Later the test results revealed that the powder-like substance in the form of cakes was indeed Cocaine. It is suspected that the illegal narcotic drug was being smuggled by the ship. The ship arrived at Paradip from Indonesia’s Gresik port and was scheduled to depart for Denmark carrying steel plates from Odisha.