Ships calling in Venezuelan ports are reportedly being caught up in a scam involving mandatory underwater hull inspections.
Some divers are allegedly extorting cash from shipowners who face having their ships detained over possible drug smuggling if they don’t pay up.
The Standard P&I Club said it has been made aware of such incidents which have been reported frequently in Puerto Ordaz and Puerto la Cruz.
In the recent past drug smuggling has been accomplished in Venezuela by attaching packages of drugs to the hulls of unsuspecting vessels.
As a result, Venezuelan local authorities have established a programme of mandatory underwater hull inspections for vessels in local ports.
“These inspections are usually conducted by diving companies appointed by the terminal,” Standard said in an alert to members.
“A number of incidents have been recorded in which the divers arranged by the terminal have reported, upon completion of their survey that a number of items were missing from the hull, such as nuts, bolts or pin locks.
“After completing their diving operations, the divers request that the master pay in cash for them to replace all of the missing parts prior to the vessels departure.”
In instances where a master has refused to pay, divers have been known to request that the authorities arrest the vessel on the basis that the underwater areas surveyed were readied for the placement of foreign objects, The Standard Club alleges
“It is suspected that in many cases the divers themselves are the cause of the missing parts,” it claims.
