4 Sep 2025 – The Portuguese Navy confirmed this morning that it intervened overnight to free the crew of the Hapag-Lloyd containership Odysseus after the vessel reported an attempted hijacking in the Algarve traffic separation scheme, six nautical miles south of Lagos.
According to initial radio messages received by MRCC Lisboa at 23:10 local time on 3 September, “at least two masked individuals” had gained access to the 2006-built, 39,420-dwt ship and corralled crew members into the engine room, where they were locked behind reinforced fire doors. The master activated the SSAS security alert and deviated from the planned route, prompting an immediate naval response.
Two NRP patrol craft and an EH-101 helicopter were dispatched, boarding the Odysseus at 00:45. Sailors found the detained crew—reportedly a Polish oiler and a Filipino motorman—unharmed and released them within minutes. A sweep of the 222-metre vessel found no trace of the intruders; however, several containers on the aft deck showed signs of tampering, and a small high-speed craft was sighted fleeing toward the Moroccan coast on thermal imaging.
The ship—registered in Monrovia and managed by Greece-based Cosmoship Management Services—was carrying 1,872 loaded containers, including reefer cargo bound for the Spanish fruit market. It has now been redirected to the port of Sines, where forensic teams from PJ police and the Maritime Police are examining CCTV footage and conducting chemical tests on seven containers that had their seals broken.
Portugal’s Minister of Internal Administration, José Magalhães, told reporters that “all evidence points to a narco-trafficking modus operandi” in which gangs seek to commandeer merchant ships temporarily to load or retrieve drug bales at sea. The Algarve coast has seen three similar incidents since 2022, reflecting growing pressure on south-west European trafficking routes.
Hapag-Lloyd said it is “relieved that all 23 seafarers are safe” and is cooperating fully with investigators. The German line added that the MSW (Mediterranean–South America West Coast) service rotation will be adjusted to minimise cargo delays, while customers with cargo aboard Odysseus will receive updates through its usual exception-notification system.
The Portuguese Navy has stepped up air patrols and warned merchant traffic to maintain “maximum vigilance” inside the Lisbon and Sagres traffic lanes. No injuries or cargo losses have been reported, and the ship is expected to resume sailing once investigators clear the crime scene.
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