Tanker Crew Detained in Zeebrugge for Alleged Cocaine Trafficking Operation

This week, five crew members aboard the product tanker Scot Bremen were apprehended in Belgium after authorities discovered a important stash of cocaine on the vessel. Citing data from haberdenizde,the incident unfolded when the ship’s captain noticed unusual behavior among his crew and promptly alerted Belgian customs officials while docked at Zeebrugge.

The Maltese-flagged tanker, managed by a Turkish firm, had recently completed its journey from Pecem, a lesser-known port in Brazil. It reached Ostend’s coast on june 20 and anchored offshore to await pilot assistance for entering the port.

On June 22, just two days post-anchoring, the captain found five sailors concealing suspicious packages. He acted swiftly—canceling pilot boarding and isolating those involved in their cabins while securing their mobile devices as potential evidence.Due to inclement weather conditions preventing immediate police intervention at sea, the scot Bremen remained anchored until it could safely sail into Zeebrugge on June 23. Customs officers conducted an extensive search upon arrival and uncovered what they termed “significant quantities” of cocaine onboard. While specific details about the amount were not disclosed, reports indicated it might very well be “hundreds of kilos.”

All five crew members were taken into custody by local law enforcement. The captain was questioned as a witness but later released for his cooperation during this examination.

Scot Tankers—the company behind this vessel—expressed recognition for their captain’s proactive measures that facilitated evidence collection and supported law enforcement efforts.

The ship stayed docked until Thursday when new crew members boarded to continue its journey toward Zelzate in Belgium.In an intriguing twist related to this case, eight individuals were arrested at a nearby marina in Blankenberge on Sunday night while attempting to launch an inflatable boat believed to be aimed at reaching the Scot Bremen offshore. Local media speculated these men might have been trying to retrieve hidden drugs from the tanker.

While both incidents are confirmed by West Flanders public prosecutors’ office as connected through ongoing investigations into organized crime activities involving these suspects forming a criminal gang remains uncertain.

Built in 2003 with an 8,200-dwt capacity for transporting chemicals and oil products under its former name Wappen von Bremen before being acquired by Turkish management in 2015—the Scot Bremen typically operates routes between North America and Northern Europe alongside Mediterranean ports but has made two trips to Pecem earlier this year alone: one each in April and early June.

Pecem is increasingly becoming attractive for drug traffickers due to heightened scrutiny faced by larger Brazilian ports like Santos or Rio de janeiro where authorities are intensifying anti-trafficking measures. Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service has raised alarms about criminal organizations shifting operations towards smaller regional ports as safer alternatives for smuggling activities—a trend that complicates traditional shipping security protocols since most drug trafficking cases involve container ships rather than tankers like Scot Bremen which remain relatively rare targets within maritime logistics circles; notably last seen back in 2020 when Guatemalan police intercepted cocaine concealed within metal apparatus attached externally onto another vessel arriving from Colombia known as MTM Potomac.