Innovative Underwater Cocaine Smuggling Tactics Challenge Swedish Customs
Swedish Customs face new challenges as divers attach cocaine to ship hulls in Swedish ports, leading to recent seizures and highlighting rising cocaine use among young adults.
- • Drug smugglers use divers to attach cocaine to ship hulls underwater in Swedish ports.
- • Swedish Customs and Coast Guard seized cocaine on a ship's hull in Gothenburg based on a tip-off.
- • Port security focuses on land access, making underwater smuggling harder to detect.
- • In 2024, Swedish Customs reported record cocaine seizures totaling 1,576 kilograms.
- • Cocaine use among young adults in Sweden has risen, with nearly 3% admitting use in the past year.
Key details
Drug smugglers, often originating from Albania, have adopted increasingly sophisticated methods by using divers to attach cocaine to the hulls of large ships docked in Swedish ports, notably in Gothenburg. This innovative smuggling tactic allows narcotics to be hidden underwater on ships without the knowledge of the crew or shipping companies. Swedish Customs Agency expert Martin Norell highlighted that while containers remain the primary method for cocaine transport, these audacious underwater operations exploit the predictable routes of large freight vessels, facilitated by publicly accessible shipping information.
A recent operation in the Port of Gothenburg, conducted by Swedish Customs in cooperation with the Coast Guard, successfully seized cocaine affixed to a ship’s hull following a tip-off. However, no suspects were identified during this incident. The Customs Agency acknowledges the challenge posed by such smuggling because port security mainly focuses on land-based threats, making underwater access less monitored and thus easier for smugglers.
In 2024, Swedish Customs reported record cocaine seizures totaling 1,576 kilograms, largely from a significant operation in Norvik near Nynäshamn. Meanwhile, the Public Health Agency of Sweden has noted a rise in cocaine use among young adults, with approximately 3% of individuals aged 17-34 admitting to cocaine use in the past year and slight increases in cocaine-related harm over the past decade.
This evolving smuggling modus operandi underscores the need for enhanced international cooperation and maritime security to tackle the clandestine underwater drug trafficking that continues to challenge Swedish law enforcement authorities.