Peru strengthens the fight against drug trafficking in its ports

Cooperation between the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior and the European Union, through the Spanish Civil Guard, has resulted in the study “Vulnerabilities of ports in relation to the fight against illicit maritime drug trafficking”. This study has identified the difficulties faced by the institutions in charge of drug trafficking control in river and maritime ports. The ultimate goal is to generate effective strategies to prevent the outflow of cocaine drugs to the United States, Europe and Asia.

During this activity, two technical experts from the Civil Guard have visited the ports of Callao, Iquitos and Chancay and have gathered information from the entities involved in the control of illicit drug trafficking in ports, such as the Anti-Drug Directorate (Dirandro) of the National Police, the National Port Authority (APN), the National Ports Company (Enapu), the National Superintendence of Customs and Tax Administration (Sunat), the General Directorate of Captains and Coast Guard and the Prosecutor’s Office specializing in Illicit Drug Trafficking.

In addition, as part of the project “Support from the forces of law of the European Union in the fight against drugs and organised crime in Peru“, a review has been made of national legislation on these issues and of the documentation used to manage the country’s maritime and river ports. Along the same lines, objectives and goals have been established for the organization of a port intelligence team within the Police Intelligence Directorate; proposals have been made for the creation and operation of inter-institutional port intelligence teams to collect and analyze information from secondary ports in direct interaction with the Global Container Control Program promoted by UNODC; and mechanisms have been generated for the exchange of information with other security agencies, customs, port authorities and international organizations.

The assessment also presents an analysis of the potential for implementing measures to harmonize security against drug trafficking in the “Port Alliance” plan, such as the collaboration and coordination of actors in the criminal chain with port authorities and maritime transport companies. Proposals have also been made for the prevention and repression of corruption crimes committed by port officials.

The Directorate General against Organized Crime (DGCO) of Mininter, members of the Spanish Civil Guard, European experts, the executive president of the National Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (DEVIDA), Carlos Figueroa, the European Union Cooperation Attaché, Cristina Fernandez, the director of Drug Control and Illegal Crops of the DGCO, Fredy Roncal, among others, participated in this technical assistance.