Five Crewmembers Caught Smuggling Drugs on Tanker in Zeebrugge

Five crewmembers from the product tanker Scot Bremen have been arrested after the vessel's master found out that they were concealing packages of narcotics, operator Scot Tankers said Thursday.(26 June)The update adds new dimensions to the story of the seizure, which Belgian authorities announced earlier this week. 

On Friday, Scot Bremen arrived off Ostend, Belgium on a voyage from the small port of Pecem, Brazil. She anchored to await a pilot and her entrance into port. 

Two days later, the master of Scot Bremen discovered that five ratings "were concealing suspected packages" on board, Scot Tankers said in a statement. He canceled the pilot boarding, notified Belgian authorities, isolated the crewmembers, and collected their cell phones. 

Weather at the time was too poor for police to come out to the anchorage and board the ship for an inspection, so the tanker waited overnight. On Monday evening, Scot Bremen navigated to the nearby port of Zeebrugge, where Belgian customs boarded her and seized "significant quantities" of cocaine. 

Five members of the crew were detained by Belgian police. The master was questioned as a witness and released, and the Scot Bremen has been cleared to continue on her commercial voyage. 

"Both the police and the Public Prosecutor’s office have commended the master for his conduct in reporting the matter, preserving evidences, and assisting the investigation," said Scot Tankers in a statement. 

Scot Tankers arranged for replacement crewmembers to join the ship on Thursday, after which the ship will depart for its next port of call, the small town of Zelzate, Belgium. The company continues to work with Belgian authorities on the matter of the smuggling case. 

In addition to the five suspects from Scot Bremen, eight men were arrested while launching a boat at a marina in nearby Blankenberge, Belgium on Sunday. Local media reports suggest that they are suspected of attempting to retrieve the cocaine from the tanker while it was off the coast. They have been held on suspicion of forming a gang while the investigation continues, according to Belgian news agency Belga.