Drug Trafficking & Drug Abuse (2nd Edition) by International Chamber of Shipping (1994)

Guidelines for owners and masters on prevention, detection and recognition.

A high proportion of drug trafficking is undertaken by sea because of the opportunities for high volume movements from producing to consuming countries.

Once a drug consignment has entered a region, traffickers and their agents have little difficulty in moving it within that region, taking advantage of governments to facilitate the movement of persons and goods across frontiers.

Shipping is vulnerable to drug trafficking on two fronts. Firstly, the threat of drugs being concealed on vessels means that the enforcement efforts of Customs authorities can result in delays to ships and cargoes. Secondly, the possible involvement of crew members in drug abuse threatens the safety of the vessel.