Drunk at the helm: Polish captain arrested for operating ship under influence in UK
Captain was apprehended on January 15th, shortly after his ship docked in Suffolk's Felixstowe port.
A hearing at the Magistrates' court in Ipswich revealed that a breathalyzer test showed an alcohol level four times the legal limit. The captain acknowledged his guilt and the case has been forwarded to the Crown Court.
Captain Zbigniew C. was at the helm of the MSC Roshney V, which had embarked from the Belgian port of Antwerp-Bruges and was en route to Canakkale in Turkey.
It appears that port officers boarded the massive 964-feet long vessel around 7:15 am on January 15th. A strong smell of alcohol led them to the captain, which subsequently resulted in his arrest.
Following his arrest, the captain was taken to the Martlesham Police Investigation Centre. Breathalyzer tests revealed that he had 93 micrograms of alcohol per 100 ml of exhaled air, significantly higher than the legal limit of 25 micrograms per 100ml, as set by the Convention on Standards of Training of Seafarers.
After an initial hearing on January 16th, Zbigniew C. was liberated on bail. His passport was confiscated. A resident of Tarnobrzeg in Poland, Zbigniew C. is set to be sentenced in February.
With a new captain onboard, the Liberian-flagged ship departed for Turkey. Felixstowe, serving approximately 3,000 ships annually, is the busiest container port in the UK.
Besides losing his job, the captain could face numerous grave legal repercussions for his actions. In the UK, piloting a ship whilst under the influence of alcohol can lead to fines up to £25,000 and a jail term of up to two years. Moreover, the maritime authorities are further investigating the incident and may impose additional penalties.
