Another Drug Bust on a Cruise Ship

Drug smuggling is becoming more and more common aboard cruise ships as the drug traffickers search for new ways to move drugs around the world without being caught. With the increase in border security at the United States border with Mexico the smugglers are looking for new ways to get the drugs from the Caribbean to North America and Europe.

The latest case took place on Thursday April 16 and involved the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship. The ship was docked in Roatan, in the Caribbean and a galley worker from Nicaragua was arrested for smuggling cocaine. 

Local media identified the man as 36 year old Keneth Antonio Salas Taylor who was carrying a kilogram of cocaine in a packet strapped to his waist. He was first stopped by security staff on the ship and subsequently handed over to the Honduran police. This is not the first time this cruise line has been involved in drug dealing with five crew members who also worked in the galley being arrested recently in Tampa when trying to sell seven kilos of cocaine which they had brought on board in Roatan.

In another case also last month, two members of the crew on Splendor of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean, were arrested in Buenos Aires by Argentinean police in possession of 33 pounds of cocaine.

The authorities on board cruise ships have been told to be more vigilant to try and clamp down on this new method of drug trafficking and to keep a close eye on any suspicious behavior by both crew members and passengers.