Taiwanese authorities have arrested the captain of a Yang Ming containership on suspicion of drug smuggling after a large quantity of heroin was discovered on board during a cargo inspection in the Port of Kaohsiung.
The master had been detained earlier in the week. The Taiwan-based line confirmed it is cooperating fully with investigators.
The 1,500 TEU containership YM Horizon – built in 2005, flagged in Taiwan and primarily serving regional routes in Asia – had loaded cargo in Vietnam and was scheduled to call in Hong Kong before proceeding to Taiwan. Instead, the ship skipped the Hong Kong port call and sailed directly to Kaohsiung, arriving on 29 January, where customs officials boarded for inspection.
During the search, officers discovered bricks of heroin inside the cargo hold, described by prosecutors as a “large amount” of exceptionally high-purity narcotics.
Upon the discovery, customs officials detained the captain for interrogation, after which prosecutors sought a detention order from the district court, which was granted. Authorities have not reported any other crew members detained in connection with the case.
Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp said its Ship Security Officer alerted authorities immediately after suspicious items were found, acting on a tip from crewmembers about “suspicious” goods delivered while the vessel was berthed at an earlier port – local media have identified this as a port in Vietnam. The company has provided CCTV footage and ship logs to prosecutors to assist the investigation.
Authorities are continuing the probe to determine whether the incident was part of a larger trafficking network or collusion among shipboard personnel or external actors.
The YM Horizon departed Kaohsiung on 2 February, bound for Hong Kong after initial legal proceedings were concluded.
