A Costa Cruises passenger who spent seven hours in Italian police custody after being mistaken for a wanted drug trafficking suspect is seeking compensation over the ordeal, which he says caused serious consequences for both himself and his family.
The 44-year-old passenger, identified by French media as Amir, was arrested during a Mediterranean cruise in March 2026 after authorities apparently connected his identity with that of a French-Tunisian man wanted under a European arrest warrant.
Amir, who lives in Toulouse, France, had departed Marseille on 1st March 2026 with his wife, three young children and 13 other relatives. The family had booked the cruise to celebrate a birthday.
The arrest took place in Palermo, Sicily, on 5th March, after the ship had arrived in the Italian port.
Although the ship has not been officially identified in reports about the case, itinerary information strongly indicates the family was travelling aboard Costa Smeralda. Cruise schedules show the Costa Cruises ship was sailing from Marseille during the relevant period and was in Palermo on 5th March.
The voyage had originally been scheduled to visit La Goulette in Tunisia, but strong winds reportedly forced that call to be abandoned before the ship continued towards Italy.
Passenger Held For Seven Hours
The case appears to have been triggered by similarities between Amir’s personal details and those of a man wanted in connection with drug trafficking offences.
Earlier reports said the wanted man shared Amir’s first name, surname and date of birth. However, Amir’s lawyer has subsequently disputed the extent of those similarities, saying other identifying information should have made clear that the passenger was not the suspect.
According to French newspaper La Dépêche du Midi, differences reportedly included the photograph, nationality and details surrounding the men’s births. Amir’s legal representatives argue that the information available before his arrest should have been sufficient to distinguish him from the wanted man.
Amir attempted to explain the mistake and produced identification documents, but communication was reportedly complicated by a language barrier.
His cabin was searched before he was subjected to an invasive body search and taken off the ship in handcuffs. He was escorted through the port in view of other passengers and crew before being taken to a police station.
French reports say he was warned during the process that he could potentially face 18 months in prison and a €1,800 fine.
It was only after fingerprints were taken that authorities established he was not the person named in the arrest warrant.
After around seven hours in custody, Amir was released and returned to the cruise ship in time to continue the voyage with his family.
While the legal mix-up had been resolved, Amir and his family say its effects continued long after he returned aboard.
Amir reportedly suffers f
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