A.S. Venkatachalamoorthy. J.

1. The vessel Kobe Queen 1 is an ocean carrier registered in Panama. The vessel was loaded with cargo steel products in Istanbul. Turkey in or about June, 1999 and the port of discharge was Montego Jamaica in the Caribean Islands. A part of the cargo consisting of 49,450 Metric Tons was consigned to the Order of Global Marketing Services Inc. having office at 420, Lexhind Avenue Site 607, New Your, New York with the notifying party as TW Metals Limited, Kingston, Jamaica. The vessel sailed from Istanbul in or about 3rd August, 1999 and proceeded to Darkar. There was inordinate delay in its voyage and the receiver of the cargo made frantic efforts to locate the vessel and finally an advertisement was caused to be made on 8.11.1999 in the Lloyds List, enquiring about the vessel's whereabouts. It appears that the vessel called at St. Vincent, Cape Verde island between 29th August, 1999 and 4th September, 1999 and subsequently at Laos on 18th October, 1999. The above ports were not the Port of Call as the vessel did not carry any cargo to be discharged for delivery in the said Ports. Probably, the vessel had been kept at sea, allegedly drifting