It is 0400 hrs, a large container ship is on its way to Los Angeles in international waters off the coast of Central America.
Whilst the rest of crew sleep the able seaman on duty in an unprovoked attack repeatedly stabs the officer of the watch. The officer is within seconds of losing his life when help arrives.
The officer is subsequently medivaced to the nearest Central American country whilst the seaman is detained in his cabin aboard ship in less than ideal conditions. The crime scene is cleaned.
Forty eight hours later, the ship not far from Los Angeles, the ship owners not knowing what best to do contacts Securewest International.
Without delay Securewest International contacted the Los Angeles port authorities requesting them to detain the seaman upon the ships arrival, they willingly obliged.
The ship was only due to be in the port of Los Angeles for twenty four hours before returning to sea.
As the ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles a forensic crime scene team organised by Securewest International went aboard and within a few hours was able to obtain valuable forensic evidence despite the fact that the ship's crew had cleaned the crime scene after the attempt murder. Another team of Securewest International investigators boarded and took initial statements.
Although requested the United States authorities had understandably no interest in the case as the attempt murder had not occurred in their county, neither did it involve their nationals or assets.
The officer was a national from a European Union country, the seaman from an Eastern European country which had just joined the European Union, the Captain from a third European Union country, the ship registered in a newly emerging 'flag' state with little resources or experience with this kind of incident.
Time was the issue, the Los Angeles port authorities wanted the ship to leave on schedule and had no powers to investigate the attempt murder, the best they could offer was to repatriate the seaman at the ship's captain's request. The embassy in the United States representing the seaman's country offered no assistance, in fact would not even return telephone calls.
Securewest International's investigation team called specialist lawyers in the officer's home country. Within hours the investigators and lawyers convinced that countries foreign affairs ministry to request from the ship's flag state an extradition warrant for the seaman's extradition to the flag state. This was organised through the only formal contact between the two countries which was their offices in the United Nations, closely monitored and encouraged by Securewest International.
Obtaining evidence from the doctors and hospital in the Central American country where the officer was medivaced to, interviewing the ship's captain, other witness's, obtaining evidence from the scene of the attempt murder and finally and importantly interviewing the seaman he was extradited to the flag state, convicted of the assault and given a custodial sentence.
This was a complicated case which involved seven countries. The determination of the ship's owners to see justice and the commitment of Securewest International's investigation team ensured that this case came to a very satisfactory conclusion, one that also protected the ship's owners from any later negligence or 'duty of care' claim which would have been unjustified.
Case Studies