Customs department is yet to plan action against Lady Alla , the Cambodian ship that had illegally anchored about five miles from the Nagapattinam Port. The Ship stands anchored within the territorial waters of Nagapattinam without the consent of Nagapattinam Port. The Captain of the Ship has anchored it on grounds that the Ship, whose load port was Turkey had run out of fuel, says Port Officer Anbarasan.
According to Port sources, whatever action that needs to be taken against the Ship, has to be initiated by the Customs. The Bombay High Court had issued an order against the Ship in pursuance of a dispute between the purchaser and supplier on outstanding payments. As per the Order, the Ship should be apprehended by Customs on its entry into the territorial waters, says an official. Further, the notice has to be served to the Captain of the Ship by the Customs, as the Captain has claimed ignorance of the Order.
However, according to the sources from Customs, Inward General Manifest(IGM) that is filed by the shipping agent 48 hours before the arrival of the Ship was never filed with the Karaikal Port, from where the Ship was reportedly turned away denying entry on Thursday. According to the Customs, they do not have the mandate to take action without receipt of the IGM that has information on the cargo, supplier, port of load and adjunct details.
