Brazilian Federal Police arrested two men attempting to smuggle 47 kilos of cocaine aboard a cruise ship in Angra dos Reis. The suspects, a 33-year-old Serbian and a 31-year-old Montenegrin, allegedly hid 43 bricks of cocaine in one of the ship's lifeboats, hoping to transport the cargo to Serbia.
According to the official press release from Brazilian authorities, the two men were caught after cruise ship employees became suspicious of their behavior.
"On March 20, the Federal Police arrested two foreigners for international drug trafficking, on a cruise ship that was in the city of Angra dos Reis.
The men, a 33-year-old Serbian and a 31-year-old Montenegro national, intended to transport 47 kilos of cocaine from Brazil to Serbia. After employees of the cruise operator became suspicious of the men's behavior, the Federal Police were called and found the drugs in compartments of the ship's support boat. The two foreigners were arrested and the drugs were seized.
The pair intended to collect the drugs hidden on the lifeboat boat during the night, wearing the ship's company maintenance uniforms so as not to attract attention and raise suspicions.
They will be charged with the crimes of international drug trafficking and association for drug trafficking,” PF statement reads."
The police report did not disclose whether the suspects were part of the ship’s crew or passengers.
A key detail that raises further suspicion about their roles on the vessel is their access to ship maintenance uniforms. If they were passengers, obtaining such uniforms would have been highly improbable, as only crew members have ascess to these uniforms. Furthermore, lifeboats on cruise ships are off-limits to guests.
Photographs released by authorities show the seized cocaine bricks placed on a folding table at the ship’s gangway security checkpoint, next to an X-ray scanner and metal detectors. The same image also features a box with the label “Made in Italy.
The suspects confessed that their final destination was Serbia, a landlocked country with no direct maritime access. This suggests that their scheme required additional logistical steps, such as using some of the Mediterranean ports as transit points. However, reaching these destinations from Brazil via a cruise ship would involve stopping at multiple ports, increasing the risk of detection at every stage.
Their attempt to utilize a lifeboat for drug storage was inherently flawed. Cruise ship lifeboats undergo regular inspections, and are used for emergency drills, and, in some cases, tendering operations. Any hidden contraband would have been discovered during routine checks.
