Shipping Containers and Smugglers: The Hidden War in Our Ports

Key Takeaways:

• Maritime ports handle the vast majority of global trade, but limited inspection and complex logistics systems create vulnerabilities that organised crime networks can exploit.

• Criminal groups rely on insider access, corruption, and the manipulation of port data and container reference codes to bypass security controls and extract illicit goods with minimal detection.

• Illicit activities facilitated through ports extend beyond drug trafficking to include human smuggling, counterfeit products, stolen goods, and other forms of transnational organised crime, often accompanied by intimidation and violence.

• Reducing risk requires coordinated, multi-level responses that combine stronger technological safeguards, tighter information control, workforce protection, and sustained international cooperation rather than isolated or port specific measures.

Global Trade – What Are The Issues?

Maritime transport accounts for the overwhelming majority of global trade by volume, with billions of tonnes of goods moving between continents each year. This system underpins contemporary economic life, enabling supply chains that connect production centres, consumer markets, and financial hubs across the world. Yet the same scale and efficiency that characterise global shipping also introduce significant vulnerabilities. Ports, in which containers are loaded, unloaded, stored, and redistributed are essential to the functionality of global trade. Increasingly, they have also become focal points for organised criminal networks seeking to exploit weaknesses within global logistics for financial gain.

Global shipping routes are highly concentrated and intensely trafficked, with major ports processing tens of millions of containers annually. However, the mechanisms designed to regulate and secure this flow of goods operate under considerable constraints. Inspection capacity is limited, operational continuity depends heavily on trust in personnel, and sensitive logistics information is often shared across multiple public and private actors. Collectively, these conditions create opportunities for infiltration and manipulation that organised crime groups can exploit.

The Scale of the Issue

Ports are attractive targets for criminal networks primarily because of the sheer scale of containerised trade. Maritime containers account for well over 90% of global trade by volume, yet only a small proportion are physically inspected by authorities. Estimates suggest that between 2-10% of containers receive detailed examination during transit. With millions of containers moving through individual ports each year, customs and law enforcement agencies lack the time and resources necessary to investigate every shipment. As a result, inspection practices must rely on risk assessment and selective targeting. Organised crime groups are acutely aware of these constraints and design their strategies, accordingly, identifying routes and procedures that minimise the likelihood of detection.

Infiltration of Criminality

A principal method of port infiltration involves the recruitment or coercion of insiders. These individuals occupy roles throughout the logistics chain, including dockworkers, crane operators, terminal staff, drivers, logistics company employees, and customs officials. Their positions provide both physical access to containers and access to operational information that is critical to the movement of goods.

Violence surrounding major transportation hubs can be attributed to the corruption that is infiltrated through ports. The purpose of violence in this case, is to ensure compliance among participants involved in the chain of command. Bribery is often built on trust and complex relationships in this case, providing drugs or facilitating sexual services are part of the contract to obtain cooperation. When the individuals decide to leave or step aside from the network, they are often intimidated, blackmailed or attacked. In a world of transient networks of brokers and criminal groups working together, violence also ensures a level of compliance. Although some criminal networks work together in the ports, others engage in extreme violence due to the fierce competition for dominance and profits. Evidence underscores the importance of insider involvement. A report by the World Customs Organisation indicates that internal conspirators were implicated in a substantial proportion of detected drug shipments within maritime supply chains and played a decisive role in many major seizures. Due to the sensitivity of these roles, individuals with access to port information technology systems and operational controls are particularly valuable. In some cases, bribes for these positions reportedly reach hundreds of thousands of euros, reflecting the strategic importance of such access.

Container Code Conundrum

Another emerging tactic involves the misuse of container reference codes. These identifiers are central to tracking and releasing shipments within port systems. When obtained through corruption, data breaches, or insider assistance, they allow criminal actors to claim containers using falsified documentation. Possession of legitimate appearing codes enables smugglers to collect containers with minimal scrutiny, effectively circumventing established security procedures. Europol has documented cases in which containers containing illicit goods were retrieved directly from port facilities without raising suspicion due to the use of compromised reference information.

Changing Tactics

Concealment methods have also become increasingly sophisticated. Earlier smuggling practices often relied on hiding contraband within cargo such as produce or consumer goods. Contemporary approaches may involve modifying the physical structure of containers themselves, placing illicit goods in hidden compartments or refrigerated units to avoid detection. Additional technologies, including global positioning trackers, are sometimes used to monitor the location of containers and coordinate retrieval once shipments exit secure areas. These adaptations demonstrate the flexibility of organised crime networks and their capacity to respond quickly to changes in enforcement practices. Together, these developments illustrate a broader pattern. Criminal groups continually adjust their methods in response to new controls, seeking alternative entry points whenever vulnerabilities are addressed.

Illicit Goods Moving Through Supply Chains

Ports facilitate the movement of a wide range of illicit commodities. The most prominent are narcotics, particularly cocaine and synthetic drugs transported from production regions in South America and Asia into European and North American markets. Large quantities are seized each year at major European ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Hamburg. Nevertheless, authorities acknowledge that seizures represent only a fraction of total trafficking activity. Illicit trade through ports extends beyond drugs. Organised crime networks also transport stolen vehicles and high value goods concealed within legitimate shipments. Counterfeit products, including clothing, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, are routinely moved through trade, undermining both legitimate businesses and consumer safety.

Reducing Risk and Strengthening Security

Strengthening control over container data and information technology systems is essential. Restricting access to sensitive information, implementing stronger authentication procedures, and enhancing cybersecurity can limit opportunities for manipulation. At the same time, improved scanning systems and automated detection technologies can increase inspection effectiveness without significantly slowing port operations. Such tools are most effective when combined with intelligence led targeting and well-trained personnel.

Because ports are embedded within global supply chains, effective responses must extend beyond national boundaries. Information sharing between customs authorities, law enforcement agencies, port operators, and logistics companies can help identify suspicious patterns and prevent criminals from exploiting loopholes. Coordinated standards and joint initiatives, particularly within regional area such as the European Union, are increasingly viewed as essential components of port security.

Finally, strengthening the resilience of the workforce is critical. Employees who understand the risks of organised crime approaches and who feel supported in reporting suspicious activity are less likely to be coerced or recruited. Clear reporting mechanisms and protective measures for whistleblowers can reduce the reliance of criminal groups on insider assistance.

Commercial Consequences for Businesses

The infiltration of organised crime into port infrastructure presents significant operational, financial, and reputational risks for businesses that depend on global supply chains. Investigations or security incidents can delay shipments, increase insurance premiums, and interrupt time sensitive deliveries, ultimately affecting profitability and customer confidence. Companies may also face legal exposure if their logistics networks are unknowingly used to transport illicit goods, particularly where compliance obligations are not adequately met.

Beyond direct financial losses, association with compromised ports or corrupted personnel can undermine brand reputation. As criminal tactics increasingly target information systems and insider access, businesses that fail to strengthen security and monitor supply chains may become vulnerable. Proactive risk management, enhanced transparency, and closer collaboration with port authorities and law enforcement should therefore be treated as core components of business resilience rather than optional safeguards.Top of FormBottom of Form.

The Next Step to Building Resilient Ports

Ports are critical within the global trading system and serve as primary gateways for the movement of goods worldwide. However, the openness and accessibility that enable operational efficiency also to create significant vulnerabilities. Organised crime networks exploit limited inspection capacity, increasingly complex supply chains, and reliance on human operators within logistics systems to transport illicit goods across borders. This exploitation can manifest through corruption, intimidation, misuse of technology, and systematic infiltration of legitimate port and transport operations.

Although enhanced security measures at individual locations may displace criminal activity rather than eliminate it, a coordinated and comprehensive response can improve overall resilience. Integrating advanced technology, strengthened regulatory oversight, effective law enforcement, and sustained international cooperation is essential to reducing systemic risk. Addressing these challenges is not solely a matter of protecting commercial interests, but also of preserving the reliability and security of global supply chains and the communities that depend upon them.