Drugseize insurance is vital for companies with vessels trading on a worldwide basis. It plugs the gaps that a war or P&I policy does not cover and is particularly important given the rise of vessel detentions and detainments in the last few years. 

Miller was the first in the market to provide drugseize insurance and has been protecting shipowners, managers, operators and charterers against resultant loss of hire and additional expenses for over 30 years. We are continuously working with underwriters to evolve cover to match clients’ changing needs.

 

Coverage

War risks insurance specifically excludes any form of drugs cover (port customs breach) from standard policies. Under a drugseize policy, our clients are insured against loss of earnings, additional expenses, and loss or damage to vessel(s) and cargo resulting directly or indirectly from the following:

  • discovery, or suspicion of illegal goods and/or people on board the insured vessel
  • enforced quarantine, denial of free pratique, or prevented entry to port
  • illegal or unauthorised actions of officers and crew
  • arrest/detainment arising out of actions of previous owner
  • sister ship arrest
  • pollution or allegation thereof
  • confiscation, expropriation, nationalisation and deprivation (constructive total loss cover).

Why Miller for drugseize insurance?

  • Our policy can respond with a loss of hire cover and a CEND (CTL) cover
  • The policy can cover up to 365 days for LOH and has a waiting period of 270 days for CEND
  • Low deductibles
  • USD15m limit for additional expense costs such as legal fees, port costs, crew liabilities, bunkers, demurrage, and port expenses
  • In-house claims team with significant experience in this risk class

 

Notable drugseize events in 2023 to date:

  •  Turkey seizure - 52kg cocaine in bulk
    anchor chain
  • Cork, Ireland seizure - GBP136m cocaine
    seized from cargo ship
  • Canary Islands, Spain seizure - 4.5 tonnes
    cocaine found in aging livestock carrier

  • Australia seizure - one tonne cocaine seized
    from bulk carrier
  • Italy seizure - EUR150m cocaine found in
    Greek bulk carrier
  • Philadelphia, US seizure - 20 tonnes cocaine
    seized from cargo ship
“Competitiveness in rating comes as standard and our clients receive expert and timely advice every time.”