Tag: maritime crime

A drug-smuggling incident aboard the tanker Scot Bremen off the coast of Belgium led to multiple arrests after the vessel's master discovered concealed narcotics and alerted authorities.

InterManager has called for an end to the criminalisation of seafarers when there is no evidence against them, stressing that individual crew members should not be prosecuted simply for being part of a vessel involved in an incident.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its Annual Report on acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships for 2024, noting a decrease in incidents compared to 2023. 

BIMCO informs the shipping industry of the alarming risk of unwarranted arrests and severe prison sentences faced by crews when drugs are found on ships in certain ports. 

InterManager expressed concern over the increasingly harsh treatment of ship crews in some parts of the world, and is actively participating in industry discussions to assess the extent of the problem and address seafarers’ criminalization.

According to Windward's new report for the Q4 of 2024, the maritime industry and trading ecosystem continued to grapple with disruption.

On December 23, 2024, a crew member aboard the MV Al-Bakhera killed seven of his colleagues after drugging them with sleeping pills, allegedly due to frustrations over unpaid wages and mistreatment, while the vessel was on the Meghna River.

The third meeting of the Joint ILO IMO Tripartite Working Group to identify and address seafarers’ issues and the human element, which met in Geneva, Switzerland (26–28 November 2024) adopted Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers detained in connection with alleged crimes.

Freight crime in Italy has surged dramatically, with theft incidents quadrupling in the past two years, according to a report by TT Club, BSI SCREEN, and TAPA EMEA.

On October 4, 2024, Spanish and French security forces conducted an operation against a Tanzanian-flagged vessel near the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, seizing approximately 4 tons of cocaine.