Witherby: Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse On Board Ship

Guidelines for Owners and Masters on Preparation, Prevention and Response

These Guidelines provide essential professional guidance for shipping companies, ports, Masters, ships’ officers, cargo owners, government officials, customs and the maritime industry as a whole. 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 are required both ashore and on board.

Government and other organisations should ensure that ports and ships are able to embrace a positive security culture by facilitating the necessary measures against the various types of threats from drug traffickers. This Guide provides information necessary for seafarers to act responsibly and in accordance with appropriate advice.

These Guidelines also explore all aspects of protection in port facilities, along with aspects of cooperation between ports and ships that can help prevent drug trafficking from taking place. Drug abuse and trafficking are not a self-contained threat, but are manifestations of a much wider assault on legitimate infrastructure and transport networks across the world. Whether this activity is orchestrated by criminal or terrorist organisations, the methodologies employed are sophisticated and dynamic. Successful responses need to be equally sophisticated and require a comprehensive and strategic approach to security, not just to a specific commodity or method of attack.

Section B of these Guidelines details a number of specific measures that deal with the protection of physical assets and people, the protection of information and processes and the exponentially increasing challenges of cyber security.