Sailors travelling through Indian ports made waves on Wednesday after levelling corruption charges against officials. Multiple social media posts accused port authorities in various locations of demanding bribes and even ‘stealing’ many goods once the vessels arrived. Thousands of ships dock at Indian ports every day — moving billions of dollars’ worth of imports and exports. The problems also appear to have persisted despite regulatory measures — including rules mandating use of body cameras for officers boarding vessels at major ports from 2023.
‘They fill entire bags with goods’
“The port officers in their white uniforms pounce the moment we reach. They enter our provision store. They fill bags with frozen chicken…with coffee, teabags, biscuits. Whatever they find they stuff into bags. Then they enter our bond store — acohol, beer, cigarettes, cold drinks…whatever they find goes into a bag,” the video revealed.
The clip — recorded while the sailor was travelling through the Pacific Ocean — also alleged that top officials would ask the sailors to ‘send’ them packets of milk, cigarettes and other items. The video alleged that this issue was not limited to a single port or area of the country. He also insisted that many sailors did not want to visit India on ships despite being from the country because of this problem.
Several other X users have since stepped forward to share their own experiences and vouch of the assertions made in the video. Others expressed bemusement about the situation — noting that officers boarding vessels have been mandated to wear body cameras for more than two years.
“I’m a sailor, and I absolutely back this. Indian ports and authorities are one of the most irritating ones to deal with. Mainly due to their persistence in taking away things meant for the crew as a ‘gift’. Not to mention the port authorities asking for money when crew change is done,” added X user Kanwaldeep Singh.
He explained in addition comments that food, juices, and even Nutella bottles were “emptied from the provision store” by officials. They also favoured soft drinks, cigarette cartons (often demanding up to 50 boxes at a time).
“From personal experience, Kakinada Port has been the worst. Have been asked for money in Gujarat ports while signing on…that is joining the ship multiple times (except Reliance Terminal). Mumbai ports are the same for crew change…they ask for money etc. And gifts are the usual norm at all ports,” he added.
Officials continue crackdown
The claims also align with reports from the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network and recent CBI investigations — persisting despite the introduction of regulatory measures. The Central Bureau of Investigation has also registered several cases against port officials and agents for accepting bribes.
Press releases shared by MACN suggest that port officials often demand small in-kind payments such as cigarettes, alcohol, and soft drinks from ships. Rejecting these demands can lead to threats of vessel delays or even fines for alleged non-compliance. The global business network had launched a multilingual 24×7 helpline in the country a few years ago to help seafarers and shipping companies to report incidents real time.