# MSC GAYANE Drugs bust!



## callpor (Jan 31, 2007)

So MSC are really living up to their nick name as the Mafia Shipping Company? This is just the latest of many drugs busts on their vessels, but by far the most bizarre! See report from Old salt Blog today:-

The Bizarre Smuggling Scheme on MSC Gayane 
Posted: 20 Jun 2019 10:36 AM PDT
On Monday, 15.5 tonnes of cocaine worth roughly $1 billion was seized by Federal authorities aboard the MSC Gayane in the Port of Philadelphia. The drugs were found in seven shipping containers. It was one of the largest drug seizures in US history. How the drugs came to be aboard the 9,962 TEU container ship is a bizarre and almost unbelievable story, involving the ship’s crew loading drugs at sea from more than two dozen small boats, operated by smugglers wearing ski masks. 
Officials are not sure that they have found all the cocaine aboard the ship. Officials told CBS News there could be 30 tons more on board.
So far, six of the ship’s crew have been arrested related to the drug seizure. There is still much that we don’t know. Details of the roles the crew allegedly played in the smuggling effort and the positions the crew members held aboard the vessel remained under court seal while the investigation continues. 
On Tuesday, the second mate, Ivan Durasevic, and able seaman, Forofaavae Tiasaga, were taken into custody. Coast Guard personnel used swabs to wipe of crew members’ arms and hands. Analysis of a swab conducted on Ivan Durasevic’s arms and hands indicated the presence of cocaine.
Sources close to the investigation, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the arrests, identified the remaining crew arrested so far as Bosco Markovic, 37; Alekandar Kavaja, 25; Nenad Ilic, 39; and Laauli Pulu, 32.
CBS reports that, according to the complaint, Durasevic admitted his role to authorities in bringing cocaine onto the vessel after being offered $50,000 by the chief officer. 
“According to Durasevic, upon leaving Peru on this current voyage, he got a call from the chief officer to come down to the deck, at which time he saw nets on the port side stern by the ship’s crane. Durasevic and approximately four other individuals, some of whom were wearing ski masks, assisted in the pushing of the nets towards Hold Seven or Eight of the vessel. The nets contained blue or black bags with handles. Two or three crew members assisted in loading the cocaine into containers. The whole process took approximately 30 to 40 minutes,” court do***ents say.
What strains credulity is the notion that two or three of the ship’s crew, aided by four smugglers, would be able to hoist and then stow 15.5 tonnes of drugs in less than an hour. 
Beyond how the cocaine came aboard the ship is the larger question of why the drugs were delivered at sea. Most goods smuggled by container are loaded onshore, usually hidden with among other goods. The container is then sealed and not reopened until it reaches its destination on the other side of the ocean. Loading the drugs at sea from small boats seems to be far riskier and more dangerous than loading the drugs into a container sealed before being loaded onboard ship. 
This is the second major drug bust on an MSC container ship in the Port of Philadelphia. Last March, nearly 1,000 pounds of cocaine worth around $15 million was seized on the 9,400 TEU container ship, MSC Desiree, on its way from Colombia to Europe.
The post The Bizarre Smuggling Scheme on MSC Gayane appeared first on Old Salt Blog.

Discuss? Cheers. Chris


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## gypcoll (Dec 10, 2007)

Glad to hear they got caught, and hope they get everything they deserve, peddling misery for the people who have unfortunately got trapped in this filthy habit, Malaysia has the answer, death penalty, and good riddance


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## callpor (Jan 31, 2007)

Interesting follow-up from Rick Spilman's Old Salt Blog today? Tends to confirm the earlier post about MSC. Wonder if they are reviewing further use of these chartered vessels in MSC service?

"Who Needs a Wall? East Coast Port Cocaine Container Busts Setting Records 
Posted: 27 Jun 2019 02:26 PM PDT
Anyone who thinks that a Southern border wall will stop cocaine trafficking into this country has not been paying at attention to the news. Cocaine seizures from container ships have been setting records in ports along the East Coast for the last several months. Most recently, a shipping container full of beach chairs discharged in Baltimore was found to contain 333 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $10 million, a record seizure for the port.
The Baltimore bust was dwarfed by the 18 tonnes of cocaine, worth roughly $1.3 billion, seized last week by Federal authorities aboard the MSC Gayane in the Port of Philadelphia. This seizure was also a record as the largest drug seizures in US history.
This is the second recent major drug bust on an MSC container ship in the Port of Philadelphia. Last March, nearly 1,000 pounds of cocaine worth around $15 million was seized on the 9,400 TEU container ship, MSC Desiree, on its way from Colombia to Europe. Prior to the seizure on MSC Gayane, the seizure on the Desiree had set the port record.
And just a few miles to the north in Port Newark, in February, almost 1.5 tonnes of cocaine was found in a container on the MSC Carlotta. The seizure set a new record in Newark, as well.
Then cocaine was seized for a second time on the MSC Carlotta in April. This time 2.2 tonnes of cocaine was seized from the ship in Callao, Peru.
The ship on which the container carrying cocaine in Baltimore has not been identified. The obvious commonality in the other seizures is that each of the three ships is operated by MSC, Mediterranean Shipping Company, the second largest container ship operator in the world. The ships themselves are not owned by MSC. Until recently all three were owned by SinOceanic Shipping on long-term charter to MSC. SinOceanic apparently also managed and crewed the three ships. Earlier this year, SinOceanic, which is controlled by the Chinese HNA group, sold the MSC Desiree and the MSC Gayane, with associated charters to Blue Star Shipping and to JP Morgan, respectively. Reportedly SinOceanic still provides manning and management services for the ships."
Cheers. Chris


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## philabos (Oct 23, 2009)

There is a full page report in the Wall Street Journal today which discusses all of the information posted above.
Apparently MSC had to pay a $50 million bond for the vessels release, although the Philadelphia District Attorney is seeking permanent forfeiture. The article also states the US has temporarily removed MSC from a list of trusted operators.
This is quite a bit of publicity from the major financial newspaper in the US.


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