CONTAINER OPERATIONS: DRUG ENFORCEMENT RECORD HIGHS

The international drug trade is booming with shipping containers the main method of delivery. Mike Mundy assesses what part technology can play in solving the problem

Illegal drugs are a problem that is not going away and specifically the smuggling of these drugs in containers.

The 1436 tonnes of cocaine seized worldwide in 2019 was the highest ever to be reported. The volume of cocaine seized globally increased by more than 50 per cent between 2015 and 2019, and cocaine was the second-most seized drug globally after cannabis in 2019. As in previous years, the vast majority of the global total was seized in the Americas, followed by western and central Europe. Although small in comparison with the Americas and Europe, quantities seized in emerging cocaine markets in Africa and Asia also reached record highs in 2019.

Experience in the European Union (EU) typifies the approach normally taken by drug traffickers.

The majority of cocaine seized in the EU is transported by sea, largely in shipping containers. Cocaine is shipped to the EU directly from the countries of production but also from neighbouring countries of departure in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Based on quantities of cocaine seized in European ports and in ports elsewhere destined for Europe the 2020 totals were Brazil (71 tonnes), Ecuador (67.5 tonnes) and Colombia (32 tonnes). These were were the main departure points as they have been for some years, followed by Costa Rica (20.4 tonnes).

Indeed, it is becoming a more regular occurrence now to hear of drug discoveries in European ports and Antwerp in particular has attained something of a reputation for this since 2018 regarding illicit drugs shipped from Latin America. Data indicates that cocaine seizures in Antwerp rose from 91 tonnes in 2021 to close to 110 tonnes in 2022, making Antwerp the leading port for cocaine seizures in Europe.

The latter growth trend is not surprising and is one mirrored around the world in different geographical locations. The money involved and the reality that only around two per cent of shipping containers are inspected make it an ongoing attractive area of operation for criminals.

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS?

Looked at from a technological point of view drug detection in containers is a major area of opportunity. Find a workable solution and there is a huge market to tap into. As experience shows, however, it is not quite as simple as that. There are solutions – container X-Ray systems and now so-called augmented X-Ray systems, densitometer systems, tracing detection via vacuuming and swiping, portable and wearable electro-chemical sensors, miniaturised devices employing near-infra red etc. Another option that has been worked on is the PLOT-cryo system which includes a thin probe that can readily sample air that is otherwise difficult to reach. It can, for example, be introduced into a container with the doors closed via air vents or through drilling a small hole.

The solutions are coming – being refined and there are more in the pipeline but matched against the scale of the challenge they are clearly dwarfed. There are just so many containers in circulation that it is impossible to apply one or more of these solutions to every one. Equally, as has become clear with standard X-Ray technology, while it provides an extremely useful resource for drug detection and acts as a big deterrent it is not entirely infallible.

Tracking technology can also be of service, highlighting unusual events – with terminal equipment for example in remote areas which may signal criminal activity taking place. There is also the rise of the Smart Container – some forecast this will have a big role to play in drug enforcement activities.

Typically, the benefit of smart containers is that they can monitor the abnormal opening of container doors in real time, and Customs can also conduct spot checks in a more targeted manner. Further initiatives can be expected with smart containers but across the board it is clear that it will be some time before technology – even in this age of digitalisation – will be able to play a much larger and more influential role in drug detection. Solutions also have to come in at the right price with many government agencies in particular strapped for cash.

Short to medium term, there appears to be no better overall solution than broad-based strategies to contain the illegal drug trade, and there is scope here to try new approaches. Take, for example, the holistic approach taken by the Biden-Harris administration. Typically, such an approach includes measures such as depriving drug traffickers of the ability to financially support their operations, addressing poverty, insecurity, and other drivers of participation in illicit economies, and protecting the environment from damage caused by the illegal drug trade. Further, a holistic approach should be responsive to the circumstances and conditions in each country. It involves working closely with partner agencies on an international basis to identify shared priorities and to design and implement evidence-based solutions with local buy-in. In summary, all resources have to be tapped to fight the scourge of international drug trafficking.

8 The international cocaine trade is booming. Technology can provide a helping had in containing the problem – and new solutions are coming – but it is not the whole story