Europol warns of increasing infiltration of European ports by drug gangs

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Organized drug gangs are increasingly infiltrating Europe's major ports, according to a recent analysis by Europol presented Wednesday in The Hague.

According to the analysis, Europe's three largest ports, those of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg, are among the main targets of criminal infiltration. It is the first time that security experts have analyzed the risks of major seaports.

The gangs are said to bribe port officials or company employees, infiltrate accomplices and, increasingly, crack the digital security codes of containers.

According to Europol, the international gangs primarily use container traffic to smuggle cocaine into the EU. The drugs would be hidden among legal goods such as car parts or bananas and then be taken out again in the ports.

"Criminal networks work closely together to bypass security at land borders, airports and seaports," said Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle.

The criminal networks rely primarily on corruption of port employees, according to the report. But bribing large numbers of individuals and thus confidants also poses great risks for them, she said. Therefore, the gangs would rely on new methods.

According to the experts' analysis, the criminal organizations are increasingly targeting digital security codes for sea containers. With these codes, they could open containers, but also easily get them out of the security areas of the ports. This required fewer bribes and accomplices, they said.

Gangs also smuggled in professional teams themselves to get the goods out of the containers. In doing so, they used the "Trojan horse method," as the experts outlined. Professional "retrieval teams" would be smuggled into the port area and get between 7% and 15% of the value of the illegal cargo, according to Europol estimates.

"We are working with authorities at all levels to strengthen systems to combat the criminal activities described in this report," said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.

Some 90 million containers arrive at EU seaports each year, according to Europol. But only a fraction can also be checked for illegal goods. Last year, customs investigators seized a record total of around 200 tons of cocaine in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp alone.