Belgian customs authorities seized hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the MT Scot Bremen, a Malta-flagged chemical tanker operated by İstanbul-based Scot Tankers, at the port of Zeebrugge, and detained 13 people, Belgian media reported on Monday.
The chain of events began off the coast of Ostend, Belgium, on the evening of June 20, when the Scot Bremen, a tanker built in 2003, arrived after departing Pecem, a mid-sized Brazilian port known to be increasingly used by drug trafficking networks. The vessel remained anchored offshore for a few days.
According to a statement from the company, the ship’s captain discovered five crew members attempting to hide suspicious packages while awaiting a pilot boarding on June 22.
The captain cancelled the pilotage, secured the evidence, isolated the individuals involved and alerted Belgian customs and maritime police. This decision, initiated by the captain’s own observations, played a key role in triggering the investigation.
Poor weather initially prevented authorities from boarding the vessel at sea. In coordination with the bridge team, the Scot Bremen proceeded to Zeebrugge and docked on the evening of June 23.
Upon boarding, Belgian customs officers discovered what local press reported as “hundreds of kilos of cocaine,” though officials have not disclosed an exact quantity.
Meanwhile, eight people were arrested the previous night at the marina in Blankenberge, located roughly 15 nautical miles from the tanker’s anchorage.
They were reportedly preparing to launch a small boat, possibly to reach the vessel and retrieve the drugs. A magistrate in Bruges ordered their detention on suspicion of forming a criminal group. Prosecutors have yet to bring formal drug trafficking charges.
Scot Tankers, owned by Turkish maritime businessman Muzaffer Özgür Ebcim, stated that neither the captain nor the company was implicated by the authorities. “The captain’s cooperation and initiative were acknowledged by both the police and the prosecutors,” the company said. Scot Tankers also said it has a zero-tolerance approach to drug-related offenses and that it has taken steps to replace the detained crew.
The Scot Bremen, formerly named Wappen von Bremen, is one of eight sister ships acquired by Scot Tankers in 2015 during a $50 million expansion of its fleet from Germany’s Hansa Hamburg Shipping.
According to Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, the vessel, which typically operates in Northern Europe, North America and the Mediterranean, made two rare calls this year to the port of Pecem in Brazil: one in April and another in early June.
Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service and maritime insurer Proinde have previously warned that while major ports such as Santos and Rio de Janeiro remain key points in the global cocaine trade, smaller ports like Pecem are increasingly used due to lighter oversight and rising cargo traffic.
In a related development, the French Navy seized nine tons of cocaine from a Turkish merchant vessel in January.
The latest seizure brings to eight the number of Turkish-owned ships caught with major drug shipments in the past three years. The total drugs seized from these vessels exceed 28 tons, with an estimated street value of more than $10 billion.
According to a September report by InstituDE, a Brussels-based think tank, Turkey has become a significant hub for the global cocaine trade, with an estimated $2.9 to $5.8 billion worth of the drug passing through the country each year
The authors of this report, Dr. İmdat Öner and colleagues, wrote of how Turkish-owned vessels and ports have become focal points for maritime drug trafficking.
The report identifies key shipping routes from Latin American countries, particularly Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela, to Europe via Turkish vessels and ports.
Other shipments are also directed to Middle Eastern markets, where Turkish criminal organizations reportedly control 20 percent of the cocaine trade.
The authors mention that in 2021, Turkish law enforcement agencies seized 2.84 tons of cocaine, 2.2 tons in 2022 and 2.85 tons in 2023, demonstrating significant growth in trafficking via Turkish routes.