Zuhair Alkwafi started his work as every other day, as the captain of “Queen Majeda” tanker, not knowing that the voyage from Libya to Albania would drastically change his life. His ship, coming from the port of Benghazi, was captured on September 12th last year with 2.275 tons of contraband oil, worth about 2.2 million dollars.
On ordeal of suffering began for the 54-year-old Libyan captain. He didn’t know that his workplace would soon turn into a prison for him and three other crew members.
“Ever since September when we first came, after being blocked for 6 hours miles away from the port, they brought us here and sent us to the police. I stayed 6 months and 3 days in prison. We are still in prison, because we are locked in the ship and we cannot get out,” captain Alkwafi says.
He tells Euronews Albania everything he went through when he was detained by police.
“I’ve been working at sea for more than 19 years and I know that I have to have all documents. I had everything when I came here and I showed them. They asked me so many questions, how much did I buy, where will I sell. And I told them I didn’t know, I’m only the ship’s captain, I work by contract. I take stuff where my company tells me to. It’s not my decision,” he tells.
Remembering a similar case in Germany, Alkwafi says the issue in Albania is not being treated accordingly.
“In Germany for example, they found a container with an illegal shipment inside, but no one touched us. The police took the container and everything was resolved with the company, not with the crew. We are nothing but crew, hired by the company,” the captain says.
He doesn’t mind everything he’s been through, but he is concerned about his family.
“It’s hard for me. I’ve left five children behind and they are so young. I’ve only been married for eight years. My oldest is seven. Imagine not being able to hear their voices for so long,” Alkwafi confesses.
The captain and his crew are accused of “smuggling of goods for which excise duty is paid” and “storage or deposit of contraband goods”, carried out in cooperation.
In March, the court decided to replace the security measure from “arrest in prison” to that of “compulsion to say in a certain place”, while investigations are ongoing.
