Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - Drug cartels are increasingly using livestock vessels packed with thousands of cattle to move large quantities of cocaine into Europe, exploiting the poor sanitary conditions on board to deter inspections, according to intelligence shared with The Telegraph.
Security officials say the ships, often carrying cattle that
have been living for months in faeces and urine, create such a foul environment
that border patrols are discouraged from boarding them. Many of the animals on
board are dead by the time the ships arrive at port, a situation police sources
described as a “logistical nightmare” when it comes to seizing a vessel or
inspecting cargo.
Sources at the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre,
Narcotics (MAOC-N), an EU law enforcement body based in Lisbon, told
The Telegraph that ports controlled by criminal networks in Brazil’s Santos and
Belem, as well as Colombia’s Cartagena, routinely load up to 10,000 cows onto
ageing 200-metre vessels. These ships then sail through the Caribbean or along
the South American coast to collect cocaine from smaller boats. Officials say
the vessels typically pick up between four and ten tonnes of cocaine per
journey, with an estimated street value of around £450 million.
The drugs are hidden in grain silos and other compartments
by crew members before the ships continue on to ports with less stringent
livestock inspection regimes, including Beirut in Lebanon and Damietta in
Egypt. While those ports receive the cattle, the most profitable deliveries are
destined for Antwerp and Rotterdam, two of Europe’s major entry points for
cocaine trafficking.
Enforcement officials say that as the ships cross the
Atlantic, the crew attaches the cocaine packages to inflatables equipped with
GPS devices and throws them overboard. High-speed boats then retrieve the
bundles and transport them to Belgium or the Netherlands. According to MAOC-N,
at least one suspicious livestock ship leaves South America for Europe every
week.
The foul conditions on board severely complicate enforcement
efforts. Sniffer dogs are reportedly unable to operate effectively because the
overwhelming stench and presence of the animals interfere with detection. Over
the past 18 years, European authorities have intercepted only one livestock
vessel carrying cocaine, underscoring how effective the method has become.
The first such seizure occurred on 24 January 2023, when
Spanish police intercepted a 100-metre cattle ship travelling from Colombia to
Lebanon. Officers found 4,500 kilograms of cocaine, worth roughly £82
million, hidden inside cattle feed silos. Police body-worn cameras showed
officers wading through layers of animal waste from the 1,750 cows on board.
The ship was later towed to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where its 28-member
crew was arrested. Local residents complained of the stench emanating from the vessel
while it was held in port.
International authorities say the tactic is now emerging
elsewhere. Last week, Australian police reported that a livestock ship carrying
sheep had been used to drop £84 million worth of cocaine into the ocean
off the Western Australian coast. Fishermen discovered the drugs tied to a
floating drum on 6 November. According to the Western Australia Joint Organised
Crime Taskforce, the carrier Al Kuwait allegedly offloaded the packages while
en route to Fremantle Harbour. Investigators searching the ship later found a
blue drum and ropes similar to those recovered with the cocaine.
0 Comments