A 25-year-old crew member was arrested in Falmouth, Jamaica, after police authorities conducted security checks at the pier on passengers and crew returning to the cruise ship on January 15. The arrested man is identified as Akim Loctor, from Castries, St. Lucia, who was working as a dishwasher on Norwegian Escape, reports Jamaica Observer. After searching the crew member, police found one pound of cocaine and arrested him on charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in cocaine, and making an try to export cocaine.

Jamaica Constabulary Force released the following statement “A St. Lucian man was arrested by the Police, following the seizure of one pound of cocaine, valued at JMD 625,000, at the Falmouth Pier in Trelawny. The man was in the process of boarding a cruise ship when the drug was found in his possession during security checks. Akim Loctor, 25, of an address in St. Lucia has been charged with Possession of Cocaine, Dealing in Cocaine and Attempting to Export Cocaine. He will appear before the Trelawny Parish Court on Tuesday, January 23.”

Each year crew members, especially people who work onboard as utility cleaners, are busted for smuggling drugs. They become an easy target for drug traffickers and are convinced by the “get rich fast” scheme.

In 2017 three Norwegian Cruise Line employees were arrested in Belize for trafficking two kilos of cocaine which they smuggled into the cruise ship from Roatan, Honduras. They were identified as Derson Frank, Renaldo Kerron Roberts, from St. Vincent citizens and Jamal Nathus Celise from St. Lucia. 

In 2016 three Norwegian Dawn crew members were arrested at New Orleans Riverwalk shopping mall for smuggling 4.75 kilograms of cocaine. Two crew members identified as Asbert Lowmans and Jean Louis were arrested in the restroom carrying a shoulder bag with six packs of cocaine. The third crew member identified as Esias Felicien, left the restroom before the bust and was arrested shortly after.

In 2015 five NCL crew members working as utility stewards on Norwegian Sun were arrested in Tampa, Florida. The crew later admitted to the police that they had picked up the cocaine in Roatan, Honduras and smuggled the drugs aboard the ship in their Spandex underwear.

Photo credit: Jamaica Constabulary Force