From Research to Drug Smuggling
C.S.S. Parizeau served as an Offshore Research and Survey Vessel from 1967 to 2001. Named for Canadian Hydrologic Service hydrographer Henri Dalpe Parizeau she was built at Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver in 1966 and was commissioned as CSS Parizeau (Canadian Survey Ship Parizeau) with what would become the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
1st Day in Commission
North Vancouver, August 29, 1967
Service
Parizeau served with DFO's Pacific Region from 1966 until 1992 at the Institute of Ocean and Sciences, Pat Bay when she was transferred to DFO's Maritime Region where she was attached to the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth.
Arctic Hydrographic Survey 1971
Cruise No: WA-71
Date : August 17, 1971
Toktoyaktuk N.W.T., August 28, 1971
Following the transfer of the Canadian Coast Guard to DFO in 1995 and the merger of the DFO science and enforcement vessels into CCG, the Parizeau's prefix was changed from CSS to CCGS (Canadian Coast Guard Ship) and her crew became members of the coast guard.
Decommissioning and Sale
Parizeau was decommissioned in 2001 and renamed 2001-04 upon transfer to Crown Assets for disposal. She was sold to private interests in January 2005 and renamed Destiny Empress.
2009 Seizure
On December 22, 2009, Spanish law enforcement, acting on intelligence from the London Metropolitan Police , seized the Destiny Express and arrested the crew and 13 British citizens 200 nmi (370 km) north of Spain's northwest coast. The Destiny Empress was searched and a secret compartment was discovered having 1.5 t of cocaine having an estimated street value of £375 million.
