Cattle smuggling: How cartels use livestock to transport drugs to Europe

Criminal networks are using vessels loaded with diseased cattle to move large amounts of cocaine to Europe. Authorities often avoid seizing these ships because managing thousands of livestock onboard is extremely difficult, according to intelligence sources.

The onboard conditions are extremely unsanitary, with many animals dead or spending long periods in waste, deterring law enforcement from conducting searches. In ports controlled by gangs such as Santos and Belem in Brazil and Cartagena in Colombia, ships carrying up to 10,000 cattle are loaded, sources from the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, Narcotics (MAOC-N) report. MAOC-N, based in Lisbon, is an EU task force fighting maritime drug trafficking.

In January 2023, the vessel Orion V was intercepted near the Canary Islands carrying 4,500 kilograms of cocaine. These 50-year-old ships typically sail through the Caribbean or South America to pick up cocaine shipments from smaller vessels, often totaling four to ten tons worth approximately 450 million. Crews hide the drugs in grain silos and other compartments. Ships often fly flags of convenience from countries with lax maritime regulations, such as Panama or Tanzania, and are officially destined for ports in Lebanon or Egypt, where livestock rules are less strict than in Europe.

Despite official destinations, the cocaine is actually intended for European ports like Antwerp and Rotterdam. During the Atlantic crossing, crews attach cocaine packages to inflatables with GPS trackers and throw them overboard, where they are collected by fast boats and brought to Belgium or the Netherlands. This method is so efficient that only one livestock ship has been seized in 18 years of European operations. At least one suspicious livestock vessel leaves South America for Europe each week.

MAOC-N consists of 10 member countries, including the UK, and collaborates with the National Crime Agency. An intelligence analyst explained that spending time onboard such vessels is unbearable due to the smell, which discourages inspections. Sniffer dogs are largely ineffective because of the overpowering stench from the cattle. The scale of the operation is described as a black hole, and the cost and logistics of inspections are enormous.

On January 24, 2023, Spanish authorities carried out the first seizure of a cattle ship carrying cocaine in European waters. Armed police intercepted the 100m Orion V 62 nautical miles southwest of the Canary Islands. Officers found 4,500kg of cocaine worth around 82 million hidden in cattle feed silos. Footage showed officers wading through dung and urine from 1,750 cattle onboard. The ship, flying a Togolese flag, was towed to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and its 28 crew members of nine nationalities were arrested.

Recently, Australian police reported a similar case involving a sheep carrier attempting to smuggle 84 million worth of cocaine. The drugs were discovered tied to a floating drum near Lancelin, north of Perth, allegedly dropped from the vessel Al Kuwait en route to Fremantle Harbour. Authorities charged the ships chief officer and several individuals involved in collecting the drugs onshore.

Author: Sophia Brooks