A family cruise in the Mediterranean turned into a frightening ordeal for a French passenger who was mistakenly identified as a wanted drug trafficker during a stop in Sicily.

Amir, a 44-year-old man from Toulouse, was traveling with his wife, three children, and several relatives when Italian authorities detained him after his cruise ship arrived in Palermo. Officers believed he was a French-Tunisian suspect sought under a European arrest warrant for drug trafficking.

Despite presenting identification and insisting they had the wrong person, Amir was handcuffed, taken to a police station, and subjected to extensive searches while authorities investigated his identity. According to reports, he spent around seven hours in custody and feared he could be transferred to an Italian prison.

The confusion stemmed from the fact that Amir shared the same first name, last name, and date of birth as the wanted individual. However, his lawyer argues that additional identity details should have been enough to prevent the mistake.

Authorities eventually confirmed his innocence through fingerprint checks and released him, allowing him to return to the ship. However, the experience reportedly left a lasting impact. After returning to France, Amir required medical treatment for health issues linked to the stress of the incident.

Now, he is pursuing legal action and seeking accountability for what his lawyer describes as degrading treatment and a serious failure in identity verification.