Criminal Networks in EU Ports: Risks and challenges for Law Enforcement

Organised crime is constantly evolving its methods to try to avoid detection. This is especially true for the movement of illegal shipments; drugs, counterfeits and other illicit goods are constantly being uncovered and intercepted by law enforcement in unexpected places. One key avenue for the movement of illicit goods is through Europe’s ports, where organised criminal networks attempt to hide their cargo amongst legitimate shipments within the EU free trade area.

This report is a joint analysis carried out by Europol in partnership with the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg/Bremerhaven. It presents some of the main methods that criminal networks use to attempt to bypass security at EU ports and carry out illicit business, and presents new methods that are gaining traction with criminal networks – notably the modus operandi of misappropriated container reference codes, also known as PIN code fraud. It also explains some of the wider trends and incentives at play in criminal activity at EU, with corruption as a key facilitator for traffickers of illegal goods. It ends by proposing discussions on how port authorities and law enforcement can work together to root out criminal activity in ports.