ACL to utilise 'prison boxes' for stowaways

Each of its five multi-purpose ships deployed on the Atlantic will be equipped with one 40 ft container divided into four cabins where any stowaways will be housed until they can be handed over to the authorities.

ACL chief executive Andrew Abbott, who first drew attention to frequent security breaches at European ports earlier this year, said that ACL is working with the European Community Shipowners’ Association to persuade the European Commission that action must be taken to curb the problem of stowaways.

There are fears that the US could crack down on ships arriving from Europe if there are suspicions of security gaps at some ports. The US Coast Guard has to be kept informed about the problem, and will take action unless Europe moves first.

ACL, a subsidiary of Grimaldi, wants to see a common security standard put in place, along with a method of monitoring those security standards.