Lankan crew arrested for scrap

29 May 2012 11:40 am Views - 3745

Desperate Sri Lankan crew from an attached ship in Durban Harbour have been arrested after they tried to raise R800 ‘pocket money’ by selling metal from the ship for scrap.

The 13 men arrested with the metal at the weekend are part of the 26-member crew of the Lanka Mahapola, who say they are owed $85 000 (R708 900) in wages.

The Lanka Mahapola was detained after the Durban High Court granted an order for a maritime lien – the attachment of a ship as property in lieu of a debt.

The ship has been in the harbour since May 17. The crew, which claimed to have been at sea for 20 days without electricity to power the ship’s lights, enlisted the help of the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

The arrested crew is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court this week. (Daily News-Durban)