MATTHEW I
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Drug smugglers sank their own ship
In the afternoon of June 4, 2013, the Dutch frigate "Zr. Ms. Holland" tracked the "Matthew I" in the Caribbean Sea north of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao which was suspected to be smuggling cocaine. The ship which was carrying containers on deck was shadowed jointly with a Dash-8-patrol aircraft for 12 hours with night vision goggles, video cameras and infrared camera. Suddenly the master of the "Matthew I" reported engine problems via VHF. The report was followed by an explosion short time later, and a fire broke out in the aft which quickly spread. The crew of 10 abandoned the ship into rafts and was taken aboard by the "Holland" short time later. They were transferred to a boat of the U.S. Coast Guard. The "Holland" meanwhile tried to douse the flames on the cargo ship which had water ingress and developed an increasing list to starboard. The Navy crew, however, finally could not prevent the ship from foundering in a water depth of 3000-4000 meters. The commander of the "Zr. Ms. Holland", van den Berg, was sure that the crew of the "Matthew I" had sunk their own ship to get rid of the drugs. Dutch report with photos: http://www.defensie.nl/marine/actueel/nieuws/2013/06/05/46206175/Drugssmokkel_eindigt_in_reddingsoperatie
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