Claims that British women were drugged before they took part in one of a series of ‘mass orgies’ on Mediterranean cruise ships that left tourists ‘battered and Bruised’ are being investigated by Greek authorities.
Three Greek Cypriots believed to be the organisers of debauched ”fantasy boat” trips off the coast of Cyprus were on Saturday put under arrest by the island’s authorities.
”They were arrested … on charges of provoking indecent public behaviour,” said police spokesperson Dimitris Dimitriou. ”Expect more action in the coming days.”
Among those detained last night at the Ayia Napa police station were the captain of the vessel, the Ayia Napa Queen, and party organisers.
The arrests came as officials pored over scores of still photographs of revellers involved in group sex on the ferry, which has been used for night cruises for holidaymakers since 1998.
The compromising pictures, which showed tourists in a state of undress and in a variety of sexual acts, caused uproar last week when they were broadcast on the private Mega TV channel. Many depicted ”competitions” in which whipped cream, water melons and cucumbers played a central role.
”It is clear from the pictures that mass sexual orgies were happening on board,” said Kostas Kostaras, an officer of the Cypriot merchant marine department.
Organisers, who charged about R350 a head for the trips, have denied they amounted to anything more than a bit of ”good, clean fun”. But police and merchant marine officials say there is little doubt that what was billed as rowdy behaviour aboard the ferry often turned into sex romps.
Even worse, they say, is the notion of passengers — especially women — possibly being deliberately served mind-altering spiked drinks.
Police said drugs and ”bombes” — a lethal mix of cheap spirits and pure alcohol — may have been given to passengers oblivious to the organisers’ motives.
”It appears there was widespread use of ecstasy on board,” said a police source. ”Bad alcohol — the bombes — was also served, which would have rendered people senseless. It would also explain why it took so long for the boat to be reported.”
Until this year, the Ayia Napa Queen ran nightly cruises with as many as 250 passengers crammed on board. Once outside Cyprus’ territorial waters, ”the fun” allegedly started.
”What is particularly disturbing is that most of the passengers on any given cruise were men,” said one British tour company representative in the resort.
Other ferry boat owners said they had seen girls returning from a night on the high seas battered and bruised.
”A lot like it, but a lot don’t and came back really shocked,” said Dimitris Christodoulou, who operates day-time Party Cruises out of the port. ”A girl from Manchester, came back with a black eye because she had refused to remove her top. She asked me if I knew of a lawyer so that she could get ‘the bastards’.”
Clearly embarrassed, the Cyprus government has promised that it will take ”the toughest of measures” to stop such shenanigans blighting the image of the country.
Fears of British ”holiday hooligans” causing trouble in Greece ahead of the Olympics have prompted similar warnings from Athens. The Greek government said that alcohol-fuelled antics would be severely punished.
”It’s very damaging to the image of our country,” said tourism minister Dimitris Avramopoulos. ”The message is: everyone who breaks the law will pay the price.”
Signalling its new ”zero-tolerance” approach, the Conservatives, whose landslide victory in March ended 11 years of socialist rule, have set up crisis management centres at popular resorts.
Police reinforcements have also been sent to the islands. – Guardian Unlimited Â