W W W. B R A Z I L P A N D I . C O M .

B R
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ISO 9001: 2015

BUREAU VERITAS

CIRCULAR 01 | 2023
Certification

More than
16 tons of drugs
were seized
in the Port
of Santos
in 2022.

In many cases, drugs were found inside containers, in holds, in

Introduction ship compartments or attached to hulls, bows, rudder stock,

and other spaces on vessels.
According to the Federal Revenue in the Port of Santos, in
2022, more than 600 kilos of cocaine were found in the sea
More than 16 tons of drugs were seized in the Port of Santos in chest of vessels. Divers were responsible for locating the
2022. All narcotics were intercepted in actions carried out by narcotics. In addition, more than 14.5 tons of the drug are in
the Federal Police and the Federal Revenue Service at the the shipments, hidden. Another 293 kilos were found hidden in
Santos pier. Despite the significant volume of illicit items the structures of refrigerated containers.
hidden in containers or vessels, there are preventive measures The expressive volumes of drug seizures at the Port of Santos can
to avoid contamination of ships with these products. be explained by the amount of cargo handled and the
According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs connection with more than 600 ports in 125 countries. Five states
and Crime (UNODC), Santos is considered one of the main representing 67% of Brazil's GDP are in its area of influence.
distribution points for cocaine, by sea, in the world. Located on Santos is the most important foreign trade route in Brazil.
the coast of São Paulo, the port appears on a list of four Almost 27% of the country's trade balance (US$ 112.3 billion)
locations that stand out in the global maritime drug trade, passes through the port. It is also the 39th largest container
along with Buenaventura and Cartagena in Colombia, and port on the Lloyd's Top 100 list (the second largest in Latin
Guayaquil, in Ecuador. America and the only Brazilian on the list).
The Port of Santos´ Map

TRAFFIC EXPANSION exporter of cocaine outside the American continent, even

ahead of Colombia, one of the three largest producers of the
The same document reveals that smaller ports located in the drug in the world, along with Bolivia and Peru.
northern part of the Brazilian territory are assuming an increas- Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador are identified as the main exit
ingly important role as warehouses for the transatlantic points for cocaine arriving in Europe. From 2015 to 2021, 70% of
cocaine trade, mainly for shipments destined for Europe. The cocaine seized in Africa and 46% of shipments seized in Asia
reason, according to the entity, is that traffickers are resorting left the American continent through Brazil. In 2020 and 2021,
to these alternatives due to increased inspection. the country accounted for 72% of the cocaine found by Asian
The document also shows that Brazil is cited as the main authorities.

Background

This circular aim to highlight procedures to be adopted by

shipowners operating in Brazilian waters, following meetings
with CESPORTOS SP/FEDERAL POLICE, due to the increase of
smuggling of narcotics on board vessels.
These procedures aim to protect the crew, to reduce the risk of
attempts of loading illicit products, as well as to meet with
local authorities’ requirements on the combat against the
international drug trafficking.
The Global cocaine production reached record levels, reach-
ing 1,982 tons from 2020. The paths outlined by trafficking are
determined by the places of production and consumption,
and Brazil is on the route of cocaine trafficking from South
America to Africa and Europe.
An increased flow of cocaine into the western border states
shortly after the onset of COVID-19 seems to have been
enabled, at least in part, by traffickers increasingly resorting to
clandestine flights to transport cocaine into Brazil, likely in order to
compensate for disruptions in established landbased or
waterborne cross-border channels into Brazil or Paraguay says the
CoE Brazil - Centre of Excellence for Illicit Drug Supply Reduction.
Drug Seizures in Brazil and at The Port of Santos GLOBAL QUANTITY OF COCAINE SEIZED, BY REGION AND
SUBREGION, 2020
The United Nation´s Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC)
reported that most of the cocaine traffic around the world is
done by sea.

GLOBAL QUANTITY OF COCAINE SEIZED, BY COUNTRY, 2020

The 2022 World Drug report issued by UNODC demonstrates

that the global quantity of cocaine seized in 2020, on a break-
down by Country, showed that Colombia was in 1st place with
41%, followed by the United States of America with 11%,
Ecuador at 6,5 % and Brazil with 6,4%.
The UNODC report also shows that in 2020, the major depar-
ture country for shipments of cocaine at the global level, as
reported by Member States to UNODC, was Colombia (23
mentions), followed by Brazil (21 mentions). Countries outside
the Americas most frequently mentioned Brazil as the cocaine
departure country, followed by Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and
Bolivia, suggesting that Brazil is an important transit area for
cocaine shipped outside of Latin America.
The Pacific seaports of Buenaventura, Colombia, Guayaquil,
Source: UNODC 2022 report
Ecuador, and the Atlantic seaports of Cartagena, Colombia,
and the port of Santos in Brazil are crucial departure points for
shipping cocaine. Some mention the Brazilian's smaller ports Trafficking by sea, mainly in shipping containers, is growing,
that crop up, with growing importance for cocaine shipments accounting for nearly 90 per cent of cocaine seized globally
to Europe in recent years, as traffickers attempt to avoid in 2021.
improved controls and surveillance capacity implemented at
the port of Santos. The Ports of Recife, Natal and Fortaleza BRAZILIAN PORTS AND NEW STRATEGY
unveil an increase in cocaine seized.
There was a record high in global cocaine seizures due to World seizure data suggest that trafficking is expanding to
trafficking in cocaine continuing to increase in 2020 despite the other regions outside the two main markets, North America
COVID-19 pandemic, and global quantities of cocaine seized and Europe, with increased levels of trafficking to Africa and
increased by 4.5 per cent, to a new record high of 1,424 tons. Asia.
The major volume of the cocaine seized worldwide occurs in The Brazilian cocaine seizure data confirm this new strategy.
the Americas, which accounted for 83 per cent of the global There was a change in the pattern of destinations in 2020,
quantity intercepted in 2020, the majority being seized in according to the Centre of Excellence for Illicit Drug Supply
South America(61%). The total quantity of cocaine seized in Reduction(CoE Brazil). The cocaine seizures enable the identi-
South America increased by 13 per cent between 2019 and fication of the intention to diversify routes to the east coast of
2020 , with most countries in the subregion, including Bolivia, Central Africa, West Asia, Southeast Asia and, to a lesser extent,
Brazil, Colombia and Peru, reporting increases. North America.
 Destination route
identified from
cocaine seizures
in Brazilian
Ports 2020
Map Figure: prepared by: CoE Brazil – Centre of Excellence for Illicit Drug
Supply Reduction. Source: Brazilian Federal Police.

ports on the northeastern and the southern coast of Brazil,

where there is less capacity for inspection. The diversification

DIVERSIFICATION OF COCAINE TRAFFICKING THROUGH had been observed before the pandemic but became

BRAZILIAN PORTS particularly prominent during its course, and was especially
visible in terms of the destination countries of cocaine
trafficked from Brazilian ports.

THE TABLE BELLOW SHOWS THE SEIZURE OF COCAINE IN

PORTS ACCORDING TO QUANTITY, IN KILOGRAMS, IN 2019
AND 2020.

Source: Polícia Federal, Brazil.

In recent years, according to CoE Brazil, Drug Trafficking

Organizations have diversified the routes and ports used for
trafficking of cocaine through and out of Brazil beyond the
Figure : prepared by: CoE Brazil – Centre of Excellence for Illicit Drug
long-standing use of large ports, seeking to exploit smaller Supply Reduction. Source: Brazilian Federal Police.
Many cases were spotted at the Brazilian ports, related to STRATEGIES USED BY DRUG DEALERS
narcotics found inside containers, ships holds and compart-
ments or attached to the hull, inside the sea chest, bow thrust- The modus operandi of drug traffickers is almost the same in
er or in rudder stock, and other spaces of the vessels. different ports. The most common strategies or methods used
On November 4, 2022, the Brazilian Federal Police seized 2.75 by them are:
tonnes of cocaine at the Port of Vila do Conde (Barcarena)in Introduce bags with drugs in the sea chests or attach them to
the state of Pará(North of Brazil) . Investigations point that the the hull, rudders, anchors, propellers, and vents of the vessel
drug was bound for the European city of Sines, in Portugal. The using divers while the ship is docked or at anchor.
drug was hidden in a container, camouflaged inside bags of Hiding relatively small amounts of drugs in remote locations on
soybean meal. This was the largest-ever cocaine seizure board (e.g. cabins, funnels, decks, storerooms or engine rooms).
recorded in a port. Place illegal substances inside sealed containers before
During 2022, five occurrences of hidden drugs were recorded loading. One of the most common methods currently used by
in the sea chest of ships in the port of Santos, totaling 611 kg drug traffickers is to break container seals and hide drugs
of drugs. inside the cargo, replacing the seals ( this method involves
some level of collaboration from terminal operators or freight
THE BELOW GRAPHIC, WITH FIGURES FROM THE BRAZILIAN forwarders). In this case, refrigerators are the most often used.
FEDERAL POLICE AND BRAZILIAN FEDERAL REVENUE, SHOWS Burying packages of drugs inside the bulk cargo. This method
THE VOLUME OF COCAINE SEIZED IN THE PORT OF SANTOS IN allows large amounts of illegal substances to shift at any time,
THE LAST 4 YEARS: usually within the cargo.
Especially in the Port of Santos, with an anchorage area out of
Seized Cocaine in Port of Santos per year / per ton
the Port, small boats can approach the ships that are in the
anchorage. The same can happen with ships moored in the
2019 29
port, which due to their size and geographical characteristics
2020 22 with very small auxiliary waterways, turn it difficult for the police

2021 17,4
to monitor activities in the port channel.

2022 16,4

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

From Colombia
Drug Smuggling
Report March 2022
PREVENT MEASURES IN SANTOS AND IN OTHER BRAZILIAN PORTS may be selected for inspection depending on variables such
as the shipper, the type of cargo and its destination. Europe is
As a result of problems faced, companies operating in Brazil one of the destinations that most raises the alert, as it is one of
are taking preventive measures. The procedures are recom- the main markets for international drug trafficking.
mended in berthed, at anchorage and during cargo opera- Although part of the arrests has been performed on board
tions at the port. vessels, owners are not facing criminal investigations as the
authorities have an understanding that the substances are
CORRECT IDENTIFICATION smuggled by criminals, not connected to the vessel opera-
tions, with few cases in which the crew was reported to be
During port operations, the Brazilian authorities stress the involved.
importance of correct identification of visitors, exercising accu- Most of the narcotics arrests are the result of containers being
rate identification of all entrants, inserting the full name, identi- scanned, use of sniffer dogs and anonymous denunciations.
fication number and company name at the vessel’s log. It is
also important to confirm the motivation of the visit, since there POLICE’S REPORT
are occurrences of people accessing vessels at times not
consistent with the desired service, or for services already In most of the cases where narcotics are found during opera-
performed by others. tions, the police are called on board and the substances
The correct identification is fundamental for the investigation removed, with the vessels sailing without relevant delays.
work of those involved in drug trafficking, due to the use of At this point we highlight the importance of reporting any
workers co-opted by criminals to access narcotics by the suspicious fact on board to the authorities, to agents and to
gangway, as well as to hoisting volumes by the seaside. the P&I correspondent, collaborating with the authorities on
the work against drug trafficking.
REPORT ANY SIGN OF CONTAMINATION Although the authorities are making a strong effort to increase
the combat against drug trafficking, the volume of illegal
The crew should also be aware of attempts to load drugs substances not seized is still high, with reports of narcotics
during cargo operations, with the possibility of loading being found at the destination ports, which depending on the
attempts through ship loaders. Any sign of contamination, local legislation, is bringing judicial matters to owners, ship
identified visually or by noise caused in the loader, should be and cargo agents.
reported to the terminal with immediate paralyzing of the
loading operation to confirm the possible contamination. The OTHER MEASURES
vessel must advise Port authorities to perform appropriate
actions to remove contaminant volumes. Other measures can be taken to enhance the security on
board. Some are basic as proper illumination on deck,
CAMERA MONITORING SYSTEMS permanent vigilance on the gangway, keeping accurate
records of visitors' activities on board, and a constant lookout
The deployment of CCTV monitoring systems is another at holds.
preventive measure highly recommended by the authorities The same procedures are recommended during cargo
to control access to the vessel and its compartments, includ- operations at the port, where in addition to deck monitoring
ing the deck and the storage rooms. The monitoring system and small vessels approaches, the access to ship compart-
inhibits the action of criminals and assists the authorities in ments should be closed, especially to storage rooms.
identifying the bandits. Therefore, active surveillance on deck and of possible
The proper identification of the ship's visitors and the use of attempts of foreign vessels' approaches should be applied,
cameras also increase the security barriers and improve the reporting any suspicious movement to the official channels of
ISPS Code system. communication by radio or telephone. The ship's accesses
It is highly recommended that the monitoring devices are and compartments must remain closed and monitored
positioned in protected places to avoid damage or shutdown throughout the stay in anchorage.
by criminals. Similarly, data must be preserved in safe storage The use of ship approach detection systems throughout the
in the internal compartments of the ship. stay in Brazilian waters is suggested.
Services providers can also be provided by third parties, such
CONTAINERS INSPECTIONS as sealing of the cargo holds by an independent surveyor as
well as performing underwater inspections, in case of any
Upon entering the terminal, the container may be submitted suspicion of drug trafficking. Security guards can also be
to a scanner inspection on a random system. The container arranged to increase the watch during cargo operations.
Types of UNDERWATER COMPARTMENTS

Contamination Another modality used by criminals is the use of compart-

ments below the water level, such as the sea chest, using
divers who usually use the nighttime to access the ship.
CONTAINERS
Once the presence of illicit products on board is identified, the
federal police will appear on board to seize the material, with
SHIP’S HULLS AND COMPARTMENTS the ship cleared to continue its voyage.

UNDERWATER COMPARTMENTS PORT ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

Once berthed, the vessel receives visits from shipping agents,

experts, stevedores, terminal staff, ship chandlers and other
individuals who may need to provide any service related to
CONTAINERS the operations or directly to the vessel.
To have access to the port these individuals must be previous-
The most used means by smugglers is the insertion of drugs in ly registered in the ISPS Code system of the port authority, in
containers, taking advantage to insert the illegal products addition, a second digital authorization for entry specifically to
before boarding the ships. the proposed ship is required.
The Brazilian customs system determines that containers are Brazilian ports have a combined system of granted terminals,
stored in a fiscal control area (bonded terminals) for the private terminals and public berths. In the private terminals, in
export procedure. For security purposes, scanners are used for addition to the port authority ISPS Code accreditation, the
the inspection of containers, but due to the large volume of terminal can also perform access control to the quay. This can
containers, only part of the units are inspected. also occur in granted terminals, where the pier is also under
In addition to random inspections, due to increased seizures, the responsibility of the terminal.
the cargoes and destinations most targeted by criminals are In the berths controlled by the port authority, there are access
being scanted. An example of cargo is coffee, the characteris- gates with biometric control and reading of the access card.
tic of the cargoes that "masks" the smell of the drug, besides Eventually, an inspection of backpacks and other luggage
being a product with the export destination to the ports of carried by the entrants may also occur, but this does not
Europe and the United States, targets of destination of drugs. occur frequently.
Customs and the Federal Police also use sniffer dogs and the Vehicles authorized to access the quay, including those used
intelligence system to track contaminated units. for supply and spare parts, should be inspected prior to
When "contaminated" containers are identified on board, they access to the port area, but this is also not often achieved.
are discharged, and the vessels receive authorization to sail. At the public berths, it is common to have one single gate
allowing access to multiple berths, opening the possibility of
SHIP’S HULLS AND COMPARTMENTS individuals boarding other vessels, beyond the ship authorized
to be visited.
There is a large volume of drug seizures inserted in the ship's
porings and compartments. Drugs are usually packed in
suitcases or plastic packaging.
The entry on board can take place through visitors carrying
the product or by lifting carried out by third parties on board,
from small vessels by the seaside.
Boarding can also take place via ship loader, mainly in bulk
carriers, during the shipment of products such as sugar and
soybeans.
Several cases showed volumes found in compartments such
as storage rooms.
Once the presence of illicit products on board, the federal
police will come to seize the material, with the ship cleared to
continue its voyage.
When "contaminated" containers are identified on board, they
are unloaded, and the vessels receive authorization to sail.
INTERNATIONAL
PARTNERSHIP
WITH BRAZILIAN
AUTHORITIES
PROJECT CRIMJUST

A partnership between Interpol, the UNODC Corruption and action. Among them are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Economic Crime Branch and the UNODC Research and Trend Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, besides
Analysis Branch aims to support countries along the supply Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria.
chains of trafficked goods. The idea is to use a comprehensive, In this context, Interpol acts in investigative support, facilitating
integrated approach and go beyond Illicit apprehension to cross-border investigations, providing access to secure
carry out processes or proceeds from criminal actions aimed communication channels for exchanging information, and
at interrupting activities. analytical data support; international meetings to review case
This is CRIMJUST, funded by the European Union (EU), the US studies and share research-related information.
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Operational activities, which include targeting operations and
(INL) and the Portuguese government. In total, 12 countries in addressing the operational overcome challenges, are also on
Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa joined the the list, as is conducting training courses.

HEAD OFFICE BRANCH OFFICES

Santos Rio de Janeiro Recife
Phone : +55 13 2102 1650 Phone : +55 21 37471689 Phone : +55 81 33014370
Mob: +55 13 99788 9951 Mob: +55 21 97917 2829 Mob: +55 81 8154 6378
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

ISO 9001: 2015 W W W. B R A Z I L P A N D I . C O M . B R

BUREAU VERITAS
Certification
[email protected]