Finnish-Syrian Sailor Gets 30 Years in Turkey After Cocaine Found on Ship
Chief mate Ali Albokhari was sentenced to 30 years in a Turkish prison after 137kg of cocaine was discovered aboard his cargo vessel. His wife continues to fight for his release.
A Finnish-Syrian mariner is serving a 30-year Turkish prison sentence following a cocaine seizure aboard a cargo vessel where he worked, despite what his family describes as an absence of evidence linking him personally to the drugs, according to a report by The Guardian.
Ali Albokhari, 42, was chief mate on the bulk carrier Phoenician M when Colombian naval officers boarded the vessel at the port of Barranquilla in late 2023 and discovered 137 kilograms of cocaine concealed in holdalls. Markings on the drug packages bore the crest of Turkish football club Kayserispor, suggesting the shipment was destined for Turkey, the vessel's next scheduled port of call.
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Albokhari contacted his wife, Elena, from Colombia in an evident state of alarm, telling her crew members were facing serious trouble and that he no longer wished to work at sea. The Phoenician M subsequently continued to Turkey, docking at Ereğli on the Black Sea, where Turkish authorities conducted their own investigation. Albokhari was ultimately detained, prosecuted, and sentenced to three decades in prison.
The case has drawn attention to broader vulnerabilities facing merchant seafarers, who often have limited control over cargo loaded onto vessels and may be held criminally accountable for contraband they did not place or know about. Maritime labor advocates have long flagged a pattern of lower-ranking crew being prosecuted when drugs are discovered aboard commercial ships, even when investigative trails lead elsewhere.
Elena Albokhari remains in Helsinki, continuing efforts to challenge the conviction and secure her husband's release. The case underscores the legal exposure international mariners face when transiting jurisdictions with strict narcotics laws. Continue reading at Business | The Guardian.
