Taiwan Arrests Container Ship Captain After Large Amount Of Heroin Found On Board

Taiwanese authorities have arrested the captain of a Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp container ship after a significant quantity of heroin was found on board at Kaohsiung Port.

The drugs were discovered during a customs inspection of the YM Horizon late on January 29, shortly after the vessel arrived in Kaohsiung from Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Customs officials found around 15 kilograms of heroin hidden in the ship’s cargo hold. Local reports estimated the drugs to be worth nearly NT$100 million (about US$3 million).

The ship’s captain, identified only by the surname Yu, was detained for questioning following the discovery.

Prosecutors later requested an arrest warrant, which was approved by a district court late on January 30, as the ship was preparing to sail to Taichung.

The YM Horizon, a 1,500–1,800 TEU container vessel built in 2005, had originally been scheduled to call at Hong Kong after leaving Vietnam.

However, the vessel unexpectedly skipped the port and sailed directly to Taiwan.

Investigators believe the route change may have been intended to reduce the risk of the drugs being detected.

Customs officers involved in the inspection said they were surprised by the amount and high purity of the heroin.

Reports said the drugs were found in brick form, along with loose heroin wrapped in oil-paper bags and a suspicious white powder.

Investigators said the captain had taken command of the vessel only two weeks earlier but was suspected of having already made contact with South-East Asian drug trafficking groups. He is currently considered the main suspect, and no other crew members have been detained.

Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp said the case was uncovered after the ship’s security officer received information from crew members about suspicious items loaded on board while the vessel was at an undisclosed port, later reported to be in Vietnam.

The company said it immediately alerted Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau.

The shipping line added that the vessel was equipped with high-definition CCTV cameras and that all footage and ship records had been provided to prosecutors. It also said that, based on current findings, no other crew members were involved.

Despite the investigation, the YM Horizon departed Taiwan on February 2 and was reported to be heading to Hong Kong.

References: taipeitimes, taiwannews

Source: Maritime Shipping News