Photo: Will van Dorp

One of the ways that stowaways can get aboard liner ships these days is to hide in cargo containers.  Atlantic Container Lines will be using containers for a related if rather different purpose.  The shipping line will soon take delivery of five containers converted to temporary prison cells to hold stowaways found aboard their ships.

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.