Six Nigerian stowaways have been found after hiding on the rudders of two ships that arrived in Brazil and the Canary Islands.
Brazilian police said four of the men spent 13 days at sea after leaving Lagos on board an unidentified Liberia-flag ship on June 27.
The crew spotted the men when they arrived in Brazil and they were rescued by police on Monday. The men were held in custody and will be returned to Nigeria, the police said.
Two other Nigerians hid in similar circumstances on the 5,606-teu MSC Marta (built 2005) and were discovered when they arrived in the Canary Islands on Monday, said Las Palmas Port Police.
Video and photographs released by the police showed two men lying on top of the rudder before they were pulled into a police boat. The authorities said they would be returned to the port of origin.
Protection and indemnity clubs reported 892 stowaways in 2021/2022, a steady decline in numbers from 1,955 in 2007/2008. The numbers represented an estimated cost for each stowaway in 2021/2022 of $6,600.
Norway’s Gard reported in 2020 how four men were discovered in the Canary Islands on the rudder of the 47,000-dwt product tanker Champion Pula (built 2006) after surviving more than 10 days at sea.
Local authorities refused to accept the stowaways and they were returned to the ship under the watch of three security guards.
The four, who had no identity papers, disembarked at the next call at the port of Heroya, Norway, where they claimed asylum.
“The rudder trunk is not an uncommon access point for stowaways and is often used as a hideout, especially when a ship is in ballast condition,” said Gard in a commentary on the case.
