Seven MSC crew arrested in drugs bust

Seven crew members from MSC Seaside have been arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine into Miami.

Customs and Border Protection discovered a total of 17 pounds of cocaine during a sweep of the ship on November 17, according to court documents.

Damion Hawthorne, 32, was arrested for recruiting South African crew members Londiwe Shange, Wandile Mhlongo, Thembeka Sokhulu, and Viwe Tshaka, who allegedly picked up the drugs stash in Jamaica while the ship was docked.

CBP officers allegedly found 2.2 pounds of cocaine in the backpacks of Errol Roy Sutherland and Carl Michael Smith.

Around $100,000 was also seized.

The employees had been earning about $2,000 for each drug run over the past few months, alleged federal prosecutors.

All are being held on a $250,000 bond and are due to be arraigned in a Miami federal court on December 3.

source: Travel Mole