A luxury cruise ship captain was charged with drug dealing after police found bagged-up ice and smoking utensils on a ship which charges passengers USD 20,000 for a 2-week trip.
Jeff Ralston, aged 55, joint owner of Kimberley Quest II, was arrested after police raided the charter boat while it was docked at Wyndham Port, in Kimberley region of Western Australia. He was charged with possessing a prohibited drug with intent to sell or supply and has been bailed to appear in Broome Magistrate's Court on Monday, April 18.
Ralston was due to captain an 18-person coastal cruise departing from Wyndham on Tuesday on the vessel which has a helipad, spa and onboard naturalist. Guests pay up to $20,000 each for a two-week cruise along the Kimberley coast, stopping off to see waterfalls and Aboriginal rock art.
Kimberley Quest said the coastal cruise would go ahead and a replacement captain would take over the voyage. Police searched the vessel at 7.40am on Monday and discovered a number of Methlamphetamine weighing approximately 28 grams.