Published: April 2025
Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship. Guidelines for Owners and Masters on Preparation, Prevention, Protection and Response, 2025 - 2026 Edition
This publication provides guidance on how to combat drug trafficking at sea and how to recognise the signs of drug use and dependence among crew members.
Considered the leading industry publication on the topic, this 2025 - 2026 edition has been fully updated by industry experts to assist shipping companies, Masters and officers to prepare for, prevent, protect against and respond to drug trafficking and drug abuse at sea.
Use of these Guidelines can help to protect the shipping industry from the reputational and commercial damage that may be associated with drug incidents. They identify shipboard operational considerations and responses, as well as the training and procedures that should be in place both ashore and on board.
Fully updated and revised to incorporate the latest industry and regulatory guidance, topics covered include:
- Drug trafficking trends and patterns, as well as high-profile seizures and incidents
- physical security measures, both in port and on board ship
- training and education, including suggested training at both ship and corporate levels
- search procedures, including methods of searching and common concealment methods
- actions to be taken when drugs are found on board, including incident response reports and customs information.
These Guidelines provide essential guidance for shipping companies, ports, Masters, ships' officers, cargo owners, government officials, customs and the maritime industry as a whole.
Contents
Foreword
Section A - Preparation - Understanding the Security Challenges
Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1 Overview
1.2 Why these Guidelines are Essential
1.3 Defining the Problem
1.4 Background
1.5 The Current Situation
1.6 Strategic Response
1.7 Drug and Alcohol (D&A) Policy
1.7.1 D&A Related Procedures
1.7.2 The Master?s Responsibilities
1.7.3 Legal Drug and Medication Use
1.7.4 Testing Procedure
Chapter 2 - All Ports and Seas are Vulnerable
2.1 An Overview of Assessing the Risk of Drug Trafficking by Ship for Specific Routes
2.2 Global Drug Trafficking Routes
2.2.1 Key Global Routes - Flows of Heroin from/to Countries (or Regions)
2.2.2 Key Global Routes - Flows of Cocaine from/to Countries (or Regions)
2.2.3 Key Global Routes - Flows of Methamphetamine from/to Countries (or Regions)
2.2.4 Commentary on Key Drug Routes Affecting Merchant Shipping
2.3 Frequent Ports and Places Targeted by Drug Traffickers
2.3.1 High Profile Drug Seizures - Africa
2.3.2 High Profile Drug Seizures - The Americas
2.3.3 High Profile Drug Seizures - Middle East/Asia
2.3.4 High Profile Drug Seizures - Europe
2.3.5 High Profile Drug Seizures - Oceania
Chapter 3 - The Threat to Ships
3.1 Vulnerabilities of Shipping
3.2 Considering the Implications for Merchant Shipping
3.3 Overview of Measures to Safeguard a Ship Against Drug Trafficking
3.4 Trafficking Methods
3.5 Drug Seizures On Board Ship
3.5.1 Recent Drug Seizures on Dry Cargo Ships
3.5.2 Recent Drug Seizures on Tankers
3.5.3 Recent Drug Seizures on Passenger Ships
Chapter 4 - Risk Management
4.1 Security Strategy
4.2 The ISPS Code
4.2.1 Ship Security Plan
4.2.2 Designated Roles and Certification
4.3 The ILO/IMO Code of Practice on Security in Ports
4.4 STCW
4.4.1 Mandatory Security Training
4.4.2 STCW Drug Abuse Guidelines
4.5 The SAFE Framework of Standards
4.6 Passenger and Cargo Control Programme (PCCP)
4.7 Guidelines for Prevention and Suppression of Illicit Drugs for International Shipping
Section B - Protection
Chapter 5 - Organisational Behaviour Leading to Enhanced Security Culture
5.1 Personnel Security Strategy
5.2 Personnel Control
5.3 Social Engineering
5.4 Procedural Protection Measures
5.5 Information Protection Measures
Chapter 6 - Physical Security Measures
6.1 Ship Security Procedures
6.1.1 Role of the Ship Security Officer (SSO) with Reference to Drug Trafficking Prevention
6.1.2 Ship Access Control and Identification
6.1.3 External Concealment Protection Measures on Ships
6.2 Port Facility Protection Infrastructure
6.3 Port Facility Security Procedures
6.4 Port and Ship Cooperation/Communication
6.5 Hostile Reconnaissance
Chapter 7 - Cyber Security Measures
7.1 Cyber Risk and Drug Trafficking
7.2 How is Cyber-Enabled Trafficking Accomplished?
7.2.1 Online Hostile Reconnaissance
7.3 Cyber Protection Measures
7.4 Social Engineering
7.4.1 What is Social Engineering?
7.4.2 Types of Social Engineering
7.4.3 What Can you do to Prevent an Electronic Social Engineering Attack?
7.5 Cyber Risk Management - Maritime Industry Requirements and Guidelines
7.5.1 IMO
7.5.2 Other Sources
Section C - Prevention
Chapter 8 - National and International Cooperation
8.1 Regional Cooperation
8.2 Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery
8.2.1 Identifying Bribery
Chapter 9 - Training and Education
9.1 Training Needs
9.2 Responsibilities for Delivery of Training Programmes
9.2.1 Individual Seafarers
9.3 Training Slides
9.3.1 Suggested Presentation at Ship Level
9.3.2 Suggested Presentation at Corporate Level
Chapter 10 - Penalties and Prosecution
10.1 Legal Consequences
10.1.1 Maritime Labour Convention Requirements
10.2 National Penalties
10.3 Prosecuting Trafficking on the High Seas
Section D - Response
Chapter 11 - Tactical
11.1 Unusual Activity at Sea
11.2 Unusual Activity While in Port
11.3 Potential for Drug Trafficking on Cruise Ships
11.4 Potential for Drug Trafficking and Abuse on Yachts
11.4.1 Trade Routes
11.4.2 Notable Yacht Seizures
11.4.3 Actions in the Event of Drugs Found On Board
11.4.4 Drug Use and/or Abuse On Board Yachts
11.4.5 Company Policies
11.5 Suspicious Circumstances On Board
11.6 Incidents Involving Crew
11.6.1 Procedure Where Illegal Drug Use is Suspected
11.7 Medical Response
Chapter 12 - Operational
12.1 Concealment of Drugs
12.2 Containers (Rip-On/Rip-Off)
12.3 Suggested Checks for Masters and Ships? Officers
12.4 Typical Locations Where Drugs are Hidden on Ships
12.4.1 Dry Cargo
12.4.2 Tankers
12.4.3 Passenger/RoRo
12.5 Searching the Ship
12.5.1 Search Planning
12.5.2 Reactive Search
12.5.3 Targeted Search
12.5.4 Preventative Search
12.5.5 Methods of Searching
12.6 Additional Considerations
12.6.1 Freight Vehicles and Dumb Trailers
12.6.2 Other Freight
12.6.3 Ships? Stores
12.6.4 Miscellaneous Deliveries to Ships and Ports
12.6.5 Search Duration/Time
12.6.6 External Concealment
Chapter 13 ? Actions When Drugs are Found
13.1 Safety Considerations
13.2 Actions When Drugs are Found On Board
13.3 Labelling Drugs
13.4 Notifications and Customs
13.5 Post-incident Actions
13.6 Incident Report
Section E - Recognition of Drugs
Chapter 14 - Drugs and Addiction
14.1 Broad Classification
14.2 Drug Addiction
14.2.1 Risk of Addiction - Genetic or Environmental
14.2.2 Physical Addiction
14.2.3 Psychological Addiction
14.3 Drugs Permitted On Board
Chapter 15 - Alcohol and Addiction
15.1 Alcohol Restrictions
15.2 Responding to Alcohol Abuse
15.3 Alcohol Addiction
15.4 Alcohol on Cruise Ships
15.5 Tobacco, Nicotine and E-Cigarettes
15.5.1 Smoking On Board
15.5.2 Global Restrictions
Chapter 16 - Emerging Drug Trends
16.1 New Psychoactive Substances
16.1.1 Synthetic Benzodiazepines (BZDs)
16.2 Opioids
16.2.1 Fentanyl
16.2.2 Tramadol
16.3 Captagon
16.4 Cannabis Legalisation
16.5 Nitazenes
Chapter 17 - Drug Characteristics and Identification
17.1 Cannabis
17.2 Opiates and Opioids
17.3 Cocaine
17.4 Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) (and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS))
17.5 Hallucinogens (Psychedelics)
17.6 Sedative Drugs
Chapter 18 - Legitimate Packaged Chemical Cargoes
18.1 Precursor Chemicals
Annex 1 - Checklists - Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board
1. Drug Trafficking ? Security Procedure to Prevent Trafficking of Drugs On Board
2. Drug Trafficking ? Search Procedure if Illegal Drugs are Believed to be On Board
3. Drug Trafficking ? Actions to be considered if a Crew Member is Suspected of Trafficking Drugs On Board
4. Drug Trafficking ? Actions if Suspected Drugs are Discovered On Board
5. Drug Trafficking ? Actions in the Event of Confirmed Drug Trafficking by a Crew Member On Board
6. Drug Trafficking ? Actions if a Passenger is Confirmed as Trafficking Drugs On Board
7. Drug Abuse On Board ? By a Crew Member
8. Drug Abuse On Board ? By a Passenger
9. Familiarisation Checklist on Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse Awareness for New Joiners
Annex 2 ? Warning Posters
Annex 3 ? Drug Seizure Statistics in Ships, Ports and at Sea 2023?2024
Annex 4 ? Customs Authority Contacts
Reporting
Customs Authority Contacts
References
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