Record Cocaine Seizure on the Alpha Bravery: Drug Discovered During Engine Room Maintenance

Record cocaine seizure on the Alpha Bravery: The drug was discovered during a maintenance exercise in the engine room.

The MV Alpha Bravery left Port Louis on Friday, November 14, with a new crew after completing scientific inspections. However, the 24 crew members who were present during the discovery of 433 kilograms of cocaine are still in Mauritius as part of the investigation led by the port's anti-drug unit.

The Anti-Drug and Smuggling Unit (ADSU) is awaiting the results of DNA tests conducted on the seized drugs found in the engine room during maintenance. Engineers from the ship's crew had inspected this area, particularly the power supply pipes, following technical issues with the vessel.

It was then that an engineer stumbled upon several packages hidden in jute bags. He immediately alerted the captain on the night of Saturday, November 8. They quickly realized that it was a significant drug shipment, secretly placed aboard by one or more crew members, as this area of the ship is only accessible to the crew. The captain reported the discovery to Port Louis, and Mauritian authorities intervened offshore. The drug packages, along with the crew members, were brought ashore on Sunday, November 9.

Samples were taken from the packages by the Scene of Crime Office (SOCO). The ADSU is currently focusing on the possibility of internal complicity. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of fishing net lights aboard, which are used to illuminate packages thrown into the sea for easier retrieval. It is highly likely that the shipment was intended to be delivered offshore during the Brazil-China crossing to accomplices tasked with intercepting it.

A Professional Hideout

Among the 24 crew members, five with keys to access sensitive areas of the ship have already been questioned. In the presence of their lawyer, Me Avineshwar Dayal – retained by the local agency responsible for chartering the vessel – they all claimed to have no connection with this trafficking. They asserted that they were unaware of the presence of cocaine on board or the circumstances under which this significant shipment ended up in the engine room.

These explanations have not convinced the ADSU investigators. Indeed, during their inspection, they noted that the manner in which the drugs were concealed indicated professional work, requiring the participation of multiple individuals.

The engine room, which houses several pipes from the ship's mechanical system, has two points of entry. It is easily accessible to the entire crew, especially during disembarkation phases. Several crew members have confirmed these ease of access in their statements to the anti-drug unit.