Drug cartels are increasingly using livestock vessels packed with thousands of cattle to move large quantities of cocaine into Europe, exploiting the poor sanitary conditions on board to deter inspections, according to intelligence shared with The Telegraph.
Security officials say the ships, often carrying cattle that have been living for months in faeces and urine, create such a foul environment that border patrols are discouraged from boarding them. Many of the animals on board are dead by the time the ships arrive at port, a situation police sources described as a “logistical nightmare” when it comes to seizing a vessel or inspecting cargo.
Sources at the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, Narcotics (MAOC-N), an EU law enforcement body based in Lisbon, told The Telegraph that ports controlled by criminal networks in Brazil’s Santos and Belem, as well as Colombia’s Cartagena, routinely load up to 10,000 cows onto ageing 200-metre vessels. These ships then sail through the Caribbean or along the South American coast to collect cocaine from smaller boats. Officials say the vessels typically pick up between four and ten tonnes of cocaine per journey, with an estimated street value of around £450 million.
The drugs are hidden in grain silos and other compartments by crew members before the ships continue on to ports with less stringent livestock inspection regimes, including Beirut in Lebanon and Damietta in Egypt. While those ports receive the cattle, the most profitable deliveries are destined for Antwerp and Rotterdam, two of Europe’s major entry points for cocaine trafficking.
Enforcement officials say that as the ships cross the Atlantic, the crew attaches the cocaine packages to inflatables equipped with GPS devices and throws them overboard. High-speed boats then retrieve the bundles and transport them to Belgium or the Netherlands. According to MAOC-N, at least one suspicious livestock ship leaves South America for Europe every week.
The foul conditions on board severely complicate enforcement efforts. Sniffer dogs are reportedly unable to operate effectively because the overwhelming stench and presence of the animals interfere with detection. Over the past 18 years, European authorities have intercepted only one livestock vessel carrying cocaine, underscoring how effective the method has become.
The first such seizure occurred on 24 January 2023, when Spanish police intercepted a 100-metre cattle ship travelling from Colombia to Lebanon. Officers found 4,500 kilograms of cocaine, worth roughly £82 million, hidden inside cattle feed silos. Police body-worn cameras showed officers wading through layers of animal waste from the 1,750 cows on board. The ship was later towed to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where its 28-member crew was arrested. Local residents complained of the stench emanating from the vessel while it was held in port.
International authorities say the tactic is now emerging elsewhere. Last week, Australian police reported that a livestock ship carrying sheep had been used to drop £84 million worth of cocaine into the ocean off the Western Australian coast. Fishermen discovered the drugs tied to a floating drum on 6 November. According to the Western Australia Joint Organised Crime Taskforce, the carrier Al Kuwait allegedly offloaded the packages while en route to Fremantle Harbour. Investigators searching the ship later found a blue drum and ropes similar to those recovered with the cocaine.
The ship’s chief officer has been charged with attempting to import a commercial quantity of cocaine. Australian police also arrested three men, two from Sydney, aged 19 and 36, and one from Perth, aged 52, who allegedly attempted to collect the drugs and bring them ashore.
