The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator has issued a warning regarding the escalating use of commercial vessels for illicit drug trafficking, particularly originating from South America. This surge in maritime and waterway drug smuggling is observed across Europe, Latin America, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, with traffickers employing more sophisticated concealment methods and expanding their routes.
High-Risk Countries and Ports
According to recent seizure data, certain countries and their ports are identified as high-risk for specific drug types:
- Cocaine Trafficking: High-risk countries include Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Argentina. Larger ports in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean remain attractive transit points due to the high volume and quick movement of products.
- Heroin Trafficking: Turkey, Algeria, Egypt, and Lebanon continue to be hotspots for heroin trafficking.
Regional Hotspots and Tactics
Brazil: Organized criminal gangs in Brazil are increasingly targeting the country’s ports. There’s a notable shift towards northern ports like Manaus, Salvador, Vila do Conde (Barcarena), Pecem, and Suape, in addition to established southern hotspots such as Santos, Paranaguá, Itajai/Navegantes, Rio Grande, and São Francisco do Sul. A growing trend involves drug smugglers targeting bulk carriers at northern ports, often utilizing hiding places on decks.
Colombia: Colombian authorities maintain high vigilance, frequently conducting onboard and underwater searches. Underwater inspections (UWIs) are mandatory at several key ports, including:
- Cartagena (Ecopetrol Terminal)
- La Guajira (Puerto Bolivar)
- Riohacha (Puerto Brisa)
- Santa Marta (Puerto Drummond, Puerto Nuevo, Ecopetrol Terminal) In Buenaventura, where UWIs are not mandatory, it is strongly recommended to hire private companies for inspections upon arrival and departure. The effectiveness of these Colombian measures has prompted Peru and Ecuador to adopt similar practices.
Ecuador: Ecuador has emerged as a primary exit point for illicit drugs, with a record 252 tons seized in 2024. The port of Guayaquil is identified as a major hotspot, experiencing escalating violence due to intense competition among trafficking groups. Vessels calling at Ecuadorian ports are advised to implement heightened security measures to mitigate these elevated risks.
Drug Trafficking Methods
Traffickers employ a range of cunning strategies to conceal and transport drugs:
- Underwater Attachments: Using scuba divers to attach “torpedoes” or “parasite” packages to a ship’s hull, or inserting bags into sea chests and other underwater structures.
- Insider Collaboration: Involving local stevedores, crew members, or port officials to facilitate smuggling.
- Onboard Hiding Places: Concealing drugs in remote or less frequently accessed areas onboard, such as cabins, funnels, decks, storerooms, or engine rooms.
- Container Concealment (Rip-on/Rip-off): Hiding drugs within sealed containers before loading, often by breaking and then re-sealing the containers. This method sometimes involves collaboration from terminal operators.
- Narco-Submarines: Utilizing specialized semi-submersible or fully submersible vessels for direct transoceanic shipments, particularly to Europe and beyond.
Preventative Measures
To combat this evolving threat, maritime stakeholders are urged to implement robust preventative measures:
IMO Guidelines: Operators and Masters of vessels trading to and from high-risk ports should thoroughly familiarize themselves with and ensure their Ship Security Plans incorporate the IMO’s Revised Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic (IMO Resolution MSC.228(82) and IMO Resolution FAL.9(34)). These guidelines provide comprehensive procedures for detection and, critically, emphasize prevention as the primary means to counter drug trafficking’s impact on international maritime trade.
International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code: The ISPS Code mandates that port authorities, shipping companies, and seafarers actively prevent unauthorized access, implement robust security plans, and ensure adequate training.
Best Practices for High-Risk Ports: Specific recommendations for vessels operating in high-risk ports include:
- Threat Assessments: Conducting voyage-specific threat assessments via local port agents.
- Ship Security Plans: Regularly reviewing Ship Security Plans, limiting access to single entry points, meticulously registering all visitors and packages, deploying watchmen in work areas, monitoring CCTV, ensuring all accessible areas are well-illuminated, and maintaining vigilant lookouts for suspicious activity (e.g., small boats or divers).
- Crew Awareness: Advising crew members against carrying packages from ashore for third parties.
- Vessel Searches: Performing full vessel searches after cargo operations and requesting comprehensive inspections, including underwater hull checks, if any suspicion arises.
- Professional Services: Contacting P&I correspondents to arrange for guards, sniffer dogs, and Underwater Inspections (UWIs), specifically focusing on vulnerable areas like bilge keels, sea chests, thrusters, anodes, and rudder compartments.
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Source: Safety4sea
