MANAGING ILLICIT MARITIME RISKS DRUG SMUGGLING & STOWAWAYS LOSS PREVENTION DATA ANALYSIS 2 | BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION | DATA ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION Commercial vessels operate within complex international supply chains where varying security standards, enforcement practices, and oversight create opportunities for illicit activity. Among the most persistent and operationally disruptive of these threats are stowaways and maritime drug smuggling, both of which can expose shipowners and crews to significant security, legal, financial, and humanitarian risk. Although driven by different motivations, both stowaway incidents and drug smuggling operations exploit vulnerabilities during port and cargo operations, inconsistent application of international security standards, and the disproportionate exposure of seafarers to operational and legal consequences. Prepared in collaboration with Africa Risk Compliance Limited (ARC), this Loss Prevention report draws on ARC’s intelligence, incident data, and operational experience to examine where the principal risks are concentrated, how these activities occur, and what Members should be alert to when trading in higherrisk regions. DRUG SMUGGLING IN MARITIME TRADE UNDERSTANDING MARITIME DRUG SMUGGLING For shipowners and operators, drug smuggling represents one of the most persistent and complex illicit threats facing the maritime sector. Unlike opportunistic crimes, modern trafficking operations are highly organised and continuously adapt to exploit vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Smugglers take advantage of predictable shipping schedules, inconsistent port security standards, and the sheer volume of containerised cargo to move increasingly large consignments undetected. In many regions, transnational criminal networks leverage DRUG SMUGGLING & STOWAWAYS FIGURE 1 Drug Smuggling: Year-on-Year Comparison corruption, sophisticated concealment methods, and well-established routes between South America and Europe to facilitate these activities. Recent trends show a shift toward fewer but significantly larger shipments, underscoring the strategic evolution of trafficking groups and the growing operational, legal, and financial risks that fall on vessel operators when illicit cargo is discovered on board. DRUG SMUGGLING INCIDENT DATA NOVEMBER 2024 – DECEMBER 2025 Between November 2024 and December 2025, 301 drug smuggling incidents involving approximately 718 tonnes of cocaine were reported on board merchant vessels. This represents a reduction in the number of incidents compared to the previous year (331 incidents involving 249 tonnes of cocaine), but a significant increase in total volume seized, potentially indicating a shift towards fewer but larger consignments. 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 IncidentsEstimated volume (tonnes) 2023 - 20242024 - 2025 3 | BRITANNIA LOSS PREVENTION | DATA ANALYSIS BrazilArgentinaColombiaPeruEcuadorUruguayMexicoGuatemala Dominican Republic Costa RicaChilePanamaHaitiNicaraguaParaguayGuyana Trinidad and Tobago Unknown LatAm Country 2023 86324134143192551312226 2024 6503621552621116670120145 2025 59314747412695140102066 86 3 24 13 41 4 3 1 9 2 55 1 3 1 22 26 65 0 36 21 55 2 6 2 11 16 6 7 0 1 2 0 1 45 59 3 14 7 47 4 1 2 6 9 5 14 0 1 0 2 0 66 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 202320242025 KEY INSIGHTS – DRUG SMUGGLING 1. SMUGGLING METHODS • The “rip-on/rip-off” method - where smugglers secretly add drugs to a sealed container at the port and remove them at the destinati