Cook Found Dead in Cabin With "Marks of Violence" in Port-of-Spain

A cook aboard a German-managed freighter was found dead in his cabin when the vessel arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday morning, police told local media in T&T. 

The Antigua-flagged BBC Singapore called at Paramaribo, Suriname early on the 13th, departing later the same morning. The cook was "seen intoxicated" during their departure, the master told police. AIS data shows that BBC Singapore arrived in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago's main port, at about 0330 hours local time on the 15th. 

At around 1630 hours in the afternoon, the ship's agent received a call from the vessel's master. The captain reported that cook Lakunin Oleksandr (or Oleksandr Lakunin), 37, had been found unresponsive on board. 

Two Trinidadian police officers boarded the vessel and investigated Lakunin's quarters. He was deceased on his bed, without clothing, and showed "marks of violence" on his face and his right arm. The stateroom was in disarray and had been "ransacked," police said. 

A post-mortem was ordered to determine the exact cause of death, and the police have begun an investigation. As of Tuesday, BBC Singapore remained in port at Port of Spain, according to AIS data provided by Pole Star. 

The victim's nationality was not released, but Oleksandr is the Ukrainian form of the given name "Alexander." Lakunin is an uncommon last name, generally found in Russia and Ukraine.

BBC Singapore is an 11,000 dwt tweendecker built in 2008, and the ship accumulated 26 safety and recordkeeping deficiencies in 2022-3. Her last port state control inspection, in New Orleans in August 2023, found no issues. The operator has been contacted for comment (after business hours in Germany).