The captain of one of Taiwanese line Yang Ming Marine Transport’s ships has been detained on suspicion of drug trafficking.
Fifteen kilos of UOGlobe heroin bricks, the most infamous narcotics in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle area, were reportedly found on the 1,500 TEU “YM Horizon“, shortly after it arrived in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung port around 6pm local time on 29 January.
“YM Horizon“, deployed to a Taiwan-Southeast Asia service, had called at Haiphong, Vietnam, on 25 January. Local media, citing investigators, reported that the narcotics were loaded in Haiphong. The captain is suspected of colluding with a Southeast Asian drug syndicate to bring heroin into Taiwan.
A press statement released by Yang Ming on 31 January explained that while the “YM Horizon“ was berthed, the crew became suspicious about the items in one container, and alerted the company’s security department.
The statement said: “To ensure the safety of the crew and the vessel at sea, our company immediately requested relevant personnel on board to record the suspected contraband on video and properly seal it. Our company also proactively notified the Taiwan Coast Guard and the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, and cooperated with the authorities to clarify the facts upon the vessel’s arrival in Kaohsiung.”
Yang Ming said that its ships have closed-circuit cameras that record crew movements when the vessels are berthed. The press statement continued: “When reported to the authorities, we submitted the relevant closed-circuit recordings. As this case involves clarifying the legal responsibilities of the parties involved, our company will not comment on the case as it is still under investigation.
The statement emphasised that only one crew member was arrested, and “YM Horizon“ has resumed normal operations. Kpler’s vessel-tracking data shows the ship moved on to Taichung and is now in Hong Kong.
Drug smugglers are known to make use of seafarers to bring narcotics across borders, as their access to ocean-going vessels facilitates the loading of drugs. (PL)
