CCGS Parizeau

Construction

Named for Canadian Hydrographic Service hydrographer Henri Dalpe Parizeau, she was built at Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver in 1966 and was commissioned as CSS Parizeau (Canadian Survey Ship Parizeau) with what would become the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Two science vessels were built using the same hull design. "Parizeau" is the older of the two sister ships, although it had the longer commissioned government service. The "CSS Dawson", named for William Bell Dawson, was built at Davies Shipyard, Quebec, commissioned in 1967 and attached to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Subsequent refits saw "Parizeau's" crowsnest eventually removed and replaced with a radar and communication platform. In addition, the aft section of the boat deck was extended to allow the Officer's Dining Mess to be converted into additional accommodations.

Service

Parizeau served with DFO's Pacific Region from 1966 until 1992 at the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC when she was transferred to DFO's Maritime Region where she was attached to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth. Parizeau served in the DFO's Maritime Region as a replacement vessel for her soon to be decommissioned sister CSS Dawson. Following the transfer of the Canadian Coast Guard to DFO in 1995 and the merger of the DFO science and enforcement vessels into CCG, the Parizeau's prefix was changed from CSS to CCGS (Canadian Coast Guard Ship), the superstructure colour scheme was changed from science vessel white, with a buff coloured funnel to the Canadian Coast Guard red hull and white superstructure colour scheme. Parizeau crew members became employees of the Canadian Coast Guard, a Special Operating Agency of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Parizeau ceased government science programs in June, 2000.

Decommissioning and sale

Parizeau was decommissioned in 2001 and renamed 2001-04 upon transfer to Crown Assets for disposal. She was sold to Premananthan Iyar, registered as a yacht at Montreal in January 2005 and renamed Destiny Empress. Her ownership as of 2009 is shown as Empress Investment Group Ltd., c/o Marler Law Firm, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

December 2009 seizure

Destiny Empress initially became a target for surveillance after a diligent UK police detective, executing a raid on a suspected drug house in connection with a narcotics and money laundering investigation in London, noticed a receipt for over £100,000 in ship repairs paid to Irving Shipbuilding, owner of Shelburne Ship Repair Ltd., a shipyard in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Additional payments were subsequently identified and determined to be for the refurbishment of an ex-Canadian Coast Guard ship now named the Destiny Empress. A joint task force including UK, Dutch and Spanish authorities initiated an extensive investigation which resulted in the arrest of 15 persons (separately, and in addition to the Destiny Empress crew), seizing additional drugs, weapons and currency. Destiny Empress docked in Trinidad for some time for preparations prior to departing for Europe, including the building of a hidden compartment to transport drugs.

On December 22, 2009, a joint European law enforcement team, including Spanish Police and Italy's Air Maritime Exploration Squadron Guardia di Finanza (a special flight Squadron of the Italy' GDF Air Service), acting on intelligence from the London Metropolitan Police, seized the ship and arrested the seven person crew 200 nmi (370 km) west of Spain's northwest coast.[1] After several days of searching, officers found a secret compartment under a trap door that had been bolted down with an aluminum plate and covered by carpet in one of the Destiny Empress's rooms. The sealed compartment contained 1.5 t (1.5 long tons) of cocaine with an estimated street value of £375 million, according to UK police [2]. The crew included Philip Halliday, a Canadian fisherman and seaman from Digby, Nova Scotia [3] and Reginald Stuart II, an American dive instructor and aspiring seaman from Silver Spring, Maryland, both of whom claimed to be innocent of any wrongdoing and only contracted deck hands hired to transport the vessel to European buyers. Also among the crew were four Romanian nationals and Kevin Fletcher, the British captain.

Legal proceedings

On August 4, 2011, the UK portion of the investigation was concluded, with 13 of the persons arrested pleading guilty and one convicted of various charges ranging from money laundering, drug offenses and weapons charges. The 14 persons received terms of imprisonment totalling 79 years. One person was acquitted.[4] As of April 2012, the Destiny Empress crew remained in Spanish prison awaiting trial.[5]

The trial of the crew and four other individuals associated with the Destiny Express began in Spain on November 20, 2012. There was a delay in the proceedings because the police witness from Scotland Yard failed to testify. The final arguments by the prosecution and defense were made on December 3, 2012. On December 4, three members of the crew, Mehai Alexandru Grau, Stephanescu Vichenta and Reginald Stuart II, were released though they were not permitted to leave Spain until the conclusion of proceedings. The court's final decision was handed down February 13, 2013. Mehai Alexandru Grau, Stephanescu Vichenta and Reginald Stuart II were found innocent, but were not able to seek compensation for time served because of legal nuance. The other three crew members, including Phillip Halliday of Canada received custodial sentences limited to the time they had served. The captain and the ringleaders received 9–12 years in detention.

Destiny Empress was sold by Spanish authorities in auction and subsequently arrived at Aliağa, Turkey for demolition on 19 July 2011.