ARSIANCO

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Drug ship wit h crystal meth lab started sinking due to sabotage

The "Arsianco", 1430 ts (EU.No.: 04802870), started sinking in the port of Moerdijk won May 10, 2019, probably due to sabotage. Aboard the ship, police officers had found a drug lab and boxes with crystal meth around 1.20 p.m. Four people were detained in connection with the case, including the 65-year-old skipper from Breda. The other three suspects were Mexicans without a residence permit. One of the arrested Mexicans was a member of a drug cartel. A police officer suffered breathing problems during the arrest. He was taken to the hospital, but released a little later. The area around the ship was closed due to the release of a chemical substance. It was the first time that a drug lab has been found in a cargo ship. The dismantling of the lab started around 10.30 p.m. At 12.30 a.m. water flowed in at a rapid pace. A kind of booby trap had been put into operation. A pump was presumably operated remotely. The employees of the various emergency services had to stop their work and leave the ship. Due to the rapid sinking process, there was a risk that various chemicals would end up in the water. An oil boom was placed around the ship by Rijkswaterstaat. After the cargo ship had sunk about 1,5 meters, consultations were held in the morning about how the possibly polluted water could be removed from the ship. From the beginning of the afternoon a specialized company pumped and drained many tons of water from the hold into tankers. In the meantime, the police resumed the investigation inside the ship and in particular on the aft deck in the cabin and its surroundings. Only when the pump suddenly stopped, the emergency services finally regained control of the situation and the danger of sinking and pollution passed. The dewatering operation was continued on May 11 in the morning. Fuels and chemicals were still inside the hold. More than 300 liters of methamphetamine oil have been seized. The trade price of one kilo of methamphetamine was around 15,000 Euros. There was also a large-scale batch of waste outside the lab spaces and a 40-foot container, which was completely filled with around 10,000 liters of drug waste and chemicals for methamphetamine. The operation was continued during the weekend to gain more insight into this. Fortunately, many traces and valuables had already been secured. On May 12 around midday the ship was pulled away from the berth. Dutch reports with photos and video: https://www.politie.nl/nieuws/2019/mei/11/08-drugsschip-moerdijk.html https://www.destentor.nl/binnenland/boobytrap-in-drugsschip-verrast-onderzoekers-politie-boot-stroomt-vol-water~ad51e981/ https://www.bndestem.nl/moerdijk/onderzoek-drugsschip-moerdijk-nog-volop-gaande-en-de-overheid-zit-weer-met-de-kosten-opgescheept~afcad949/ https://www.onswestbrabant.nl/drugsschip-wordt-leeggepompt https://www.bndestem.nl/moerdijk/drugsboot-moerdijk-bij-ontmanteling-bijna-gezonken-door-boobytrap-operatie-vandaag-verder~add62d65/

Barge allided with lock

The "Arsianco", 1430 ts (EU-No.: 04802870) hit a lock on the Charleroi-Brussels Canal in the morning of May 1, 2017, in Viesville (Pont-à-Celles). The barge was moored to pass the lock. The boatman released the moorings too early and the barge hit the gate. Two cranes were called to lift the gate, andremove the barge, before finally replacing the gate which suffered significant damage. No barge could transit the canal at the accident site for the duration of the work. French report with photos: http://www.rtl.be/info/regions/hainaut/une-peniche-heurte-violemment-une-ecluse-a-viesville-914028.aspx