17 August 2023 (Lloyd's List) - MAERSK has become the latest container line to be embroiled in the narcotics smuggling trade after a record haul was found on one of its vessels in Rotterdam.
The Netherlands Public Prosecution Service reported that a container with more than eight tonnes of cocaine, valued at €600m ($765m) was found by customs at the port of Rotterdam. The drugs were discovered hidden in pallets of bananas that had come from Ecuador via Panama.
Maersk confirmed to local media that it was one of its vessels but gave no additional details.
The use of container shipping as a vector for narcotics smuggling is not new but there are fears that the problem is increasing, with smugglers using increasingly sophisticated methods to avoid detection.
Mediterranean Shipping Co warned that the cocaine trade had been surging in recent years and had become an industry-wide issue, after 18 tonnes of cocaine was found on MSC Gayane in 2019.
In that case, crew members were found to be involved, but cargo insurer TT Club has warned that the increasing complexity of supply chains has made it easier for traffickers to conceal and transport contraband cargoes.
Port authorities have implemented additional security measures to combat the trade, but smugglers have continued to diversify their methods and techniques. The large profits from the drug business were increasingly being used to bribe port employees, customs officials and police.
TT Club managing director of loss prevention Mike Yarwood recommended employee vetting and training, both in terms of motivating them to be vigilant and loyal but also in terms of maintaining secure processes of documentation and online communication.
“Identifying the more common origin points of contraband cargo, such as South America and North Africa, and rogue consignees and unexpected delivery points will help,” he said.
“We are dealing with global crime syndicates,” Yarwood said. “Efforts to combat their activities will be akin to squeezing a half-inflated balloon, we may constrict them in one or two ports, but they will find ways to exploit others. We urge all in our industry then to be aware of the possibilities of drug importation and to take all steps they can to restrict this illicit trade.”
Security analyst Dryad also warned that crew could prove to be a weak point in carrier security, with bribing and compromising crew becoming more common.
But the use of containers made it easier for contraband to be loaded before a box even made it to a port.
“The global drug smuggling trade is a complex and constantly evolving phenomenon, with new routes emerging all the time,” Dryad said.
“By understanding the key patterns and routes used by smugglers, law enforcement agencies can work to disrupt and prevent the flow of drugs into their respective countries.”
