Was sailor drugged by diesel mafia?

Probe reveals that crew members Spike dissenters' drinks to transfer pilfered diesel while they are unconscious

INVESTIGATION into Sunday's mysterious disappearance of 30-year-old radio officer Debashish Dey has revealed that the sailor may have been drugged because he was a whistleblower seeking to expose the crew's links with the diesel mafia.

Sailors in boats around Bombay High told MiD DAY that it is common for boat crews to lace the drinks of dissenters with sleeping pills so that they can transfer diesel mid-sea while they are unconscious.

They say the chances of drug overdose are fairly high in such situations and that may explain Dey's disappearance.

Also, as reported by MiD DAY yesterday ('Diesel mafia behind sailor's disappearance?'), the Yellow Gate police are probing the reason behind Shivam's crew being changed by the vessel's owner the same day as the sailor disappeared.

Police officials say this may have been done to cover-up the presence of some uncertified men on board and to destroy evidence.

'Check log books'

The police are yet to lay their hands on the names of the 20 crew members who were on board when Dey disappeared on February 13.
u00a0
"It is not unusual to change the crew members in mid-sea if the vessels are owned by the same company.
u00a0
But, because of the coincidence, the Director General Shipping and the police should run a check on the log books of vessels which sailed out of Mumbai harbour to Bombay High to replace the crew," said an offshore
worker.

Lax security

Sources at Nhava Sheva said that a large number of uncertified crew members pass through the gates manned by CISF posing security risks to the oil installations at Bombay High.

While some are affiliated to the diesel mafia, others are fishermen wanting to make a quick buck.

The needle of suspicion points to some seamen owing allegiance to one Jalal. He is in league with several marine service providers involved in the diesel smuggling syndicate.

The disappearance is also an indication that while the government may have managed to crack down on the oil mafia on land after additional district collector Yeshwant Sonawane was burnt alive, the mafia continues to remain active at sea.