Gaining control over cocaine trafficking and people smuggling in the port

What are the biggest challenges at the port?

'The Port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe and the main entry point for many goods, including cocaine. You only need to open a newspaper to read about cocaine trafficking and the associated crime. People smuggling also takes place in the port, particularly towards the United Kingdom. Significant efforts are being made to enhance security and close off opportunities for smuggling. One question that arises is whether this increased pressure also places more strain on port employees, potentially leading to increased corruption. The explosions currently occurring in the city are partly linked to tighter port security.'

What do you hope to achieve with FORT-PORT?

'FORT-PORT stands for Focusing On the Right Things in the Port of Rotterdam. We want to better understand how people smuggling and cocaine trafficking happen and move through the port, as well as how these activities are connected to the city. For example, consider the role of ‘extractors’ and how they are recruited. We only partially understand how criminal organisations operate, which makes it difficult to effectively counteract their activities. People involved in tackling these crimes often say: ‘We’re doing a lot, but how do we know if we’re doing the right things?'

So, you're also looking at how crime is tackled in the project?

'The project focuses heavily on crime prevention strategies and cooperation within the port and its surrounding areas. Numerous public and private parties are involved, from the port police and educational institutions to shipping companies. Collaboration is crucial for a successful approach. One thing we’ve learned is how important trust is. Building mutual trust takes time and requires long-term cooperation. That’s why it’s great that so many parties are involved in this project. It ensures that the knowledge we generate is used by those in the field, enabling us to have a real impact. We want to study this collaboration by attending meetings and observing how participants discuss the challenges and whether these discussions align with what we know about smuggling patterns and how problems in collaboration are addressed.'

In addition to many societal partners, other universities are also involved in the project. Can you tell us more about that collaboration?

'We're working with the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Sciences at TU Delft, for example. While we focus more on qualitative aspects by gathering stories and experiences, the researchers at TU Delft take a quantitative approach to crime. It’s incredibly valuable to combine these perspectives. Together, we're developing a model to predict how drug flows move through the port. We’re also collaborating with the Serious Game Centre at Utrecht University to create a serious game. This game will not only help us collect data, but we also plan to offer it to our partners. Educational institutions can use it with their students to raise awareness about how criminal organisations operate and how to build resilience. This is crucial, as today’s students are the future port employees.'

In your view, when will the project be considered a success?

'If we gain better insight into how criminal organisations operate and how human smuggling and cocaine trafficking are intertwined with the city. Rotterdam is a leader in terms of collaboration and it would be valuable if this project could further strengthen that cooperation. We're also working with a theatre company on a performance, which we hope will spark public debate about the issues of cocaine trafficking and human smuggling and how these phenomena are connected to life in a major city like Rotterdam. Ultimately, we want to make both the city and the port more resilient to crime. That’s the long-term goal we're contributing to.'