A Sri lankan Navy crew member was found dead in a cargo vessel off the Odisha coast at Dhamara in Bhadrak on Sunday while four Philippines nationals were detained by the Gopalpur Marine police for possessing banned satellite phone.
According to reports, the deceased identified as Priyantha De Silva was on board a cargo vessel which was to anchor at the Dhamra coast to transport iron ore.
Sources said he died under mysterious circumstances before Bangladeshi cargo vessel Bedford Castle arrived at the coast. A case of unnatural death was registered with Dhamra Marine police station.
The body was sent to Bhadrak District Headquarters hospital for post-mortem. His family living in Colombo has been informed about the incident. Meanwhile, the Gopalpur Marine police detained four Philippines nationals for possessing and talking over banned satellite phone inside a ship in Gopalpur sea.
They are now being interrogated by senior district police officials.