Precious Shipping managing director Khalid Hashim has revealed his frustrations over the mutating threat of drug trafficking on cargo ships.
The Thai company’s 33,800-dwt bulker Benjamas Naree (built 2012) was searched a week ago by police in Belgium using sniffer dogs.
A significant amount of cocaine was found on the ship, but that is all the company knows.
“We are unable to give any further details simply because the police have refused to share any information with us,” Hashim told TradeWinds.
“We can confirm that our crew were treated as witnesses, not as suspects; and that our ship’s operations were not affected.
“Despite implementing rigorous drug prevention protocols whenever our ships visit high-risk ports, it seems that drug smugglers are constantly adapting their methods.”
The Singapore-flag handysize was importing a cargo of coal from Colombia.
Federal police arrested three people who entered the port to try to recover the drugs.
Hashim said quick thinking by his crew meant the smugglers did not gain access to the bulker.
Seafarers had reported two unknown men arriving at the quay near the ship.
They made up “excuses” to try to board, the report said, but the seafarers told them this was not possible and the suspects drove away.
A Dutch man and two Spaniards were later held by police.
This was the third seizure in the port of Ghent in recent weeks.
Last month, 40 kg of cocaine was found in bags of coal on a bulker and then a backpack containing 25 kg of the drug was found secured to a hold wall with a magnet.
