The Maritime Executive When 20 new crewmembers signed on to the bulker Trudy at an anchorage off Normandy last week, they likely did not expect that they would be swept up in the aftermath of a drug bust – but on Monday morning, they had unwelcome visitors.
The Trudy was intercepted and boarded by French police off Dunkirk on October 1, bringing an early end to her transatlantic voyage from Brazil. She was diverted to the port for a thorough search, and officials found and removed more than one ton of cocaine that had been concealed on board. It was the biggest cocaine seizure in French waters since 2018, and a top customs official hailed it as “emblematic of the daily mobilization of customs in the fight against drugs.”
19 members of the Trudy’s crew were arrested on suspicion of smuggling, and the vessel was detained and moored alongside at Dunkirk’s west bulk cargo terminal. A replacement crew was brought in to care for the ship while the inquiry continued.
