Jan De Nul dredging vessel stuck in Mexico for almost 10 months
Ten months after being seized in Mexico, Jan De Nul Group's dredging vessel Zheng He has still not been released, despite a favourable court ruling, the company announced on Thursday. The Belgian company said the crew was safe and in good health.
Mexican authorities searched and seized the ship on 1 November 2023 when it arrived at the port of Tampico for a stopover to change crew, remove rubbish and carry out maintenance work. It was due to return to the Bahamas in December after the hurricane season, to carry out several dredging projects.
According to Mexico, the Zheng He should be classified as a foreign "good", which would require it to be imported into Mexico. Jan De Nul disputes this argument, calling it "illegal and unprecedented". In mid-February, the ship was declared the property of the Mexican federal tax authorities and the company was fined the equivalent of 78 million euros.
Court ruling ignored
A Mexican court vindicated the Jan De Nul Group at the end of March. It "confirmed that the Zheng He was legally present in the port of Tampico without having to be imported" and "that there were irregularities during the search of the vessel on 1 November 2023", the shipping company said in a press release. Despite this ruling, the dredger is still tied up in the port of Tampico.
The Zheng He sails under the flag of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This has led to a case being brought before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, part of the United Nations. "As a result, Mexico has confirmed in writing to the ITLOS Tribunal that the (mental) well-being of the crew will be guaranteed at all times," the group said.
#FlandersNewsService | One of Jan De Nul's dredging vessels in Australia in 2009 © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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