Fake Doctor Worked On Cruise Ships

Authorities in Berlin say they have arrested a man who posed as a doctor for five years, including at least one year aboard a cruise ship.

The unnamed man was a trained nurse, but had claimed that he was a doctor and a specialist in anaesthesia and intensive care.

At the time of his arrest he was traveling from Miami to meet a cruise ship run by Aida, the Carnival subsidiary serving the German market. He had been working for the company since 2014, and a spokesperson for the Berlin prosecutor's office said that he could have “dealt with several hundred passengers and crewmembers” while employed on Aida's ships.

He was arrested upon landing at Berlin Tegel Airport in Germany, and faces charges of forgery. The list of vessels on which he has served has not been revealed, but one source affiliated with an admiralty law firm suggests he was employed aboard the AIDAvita.

Media reports suggest that his salary would have been approximately 7,500 euros per month while he served on Aida's vessels.

Hansjörg Kunze, VP Communication at AIDA Cruises, told media that after receiving a hint at the end of November, “AIDA Cruises immediately contacted the police in Berlin . . . Only then we learned that investigations in this case have been going on for months already.”

“Thanks to our support the suspect was arrested on German ground on Friday morning,” he added.