Organized Crime at Marine Ports
 

National Overview

A significant portion of contraband destined for Canadian illicit markets, particularly drugs, originates outside of Canada. In some cases, the contraband is surreptitiously smuggled into the country through border areas. In other instances, the contraband enters Canada through designated land, air, postal or marine entry points concealed within regular personal or commercial movement. Contraband moving through marine ports includes illicit drugs, tobacco, alcohol, firearms and illegal migrants. As well, stolen vehicles are illegally exported in containers to consumers in Asia and Eastern Europe. Criminality related to marine ports affects law enforcement across Canada as the ports are merely conduits for illicit products supplying consumers throughout the country.

There are many Canadian marine ports that receive some form of international shipping, whether container or general cargo, and all are vulnerable as potential contraband entry points and consequently criminal infiltration and exploitation. In sheer tonnage, the majority of all commercial non-U.S. origin trade enters Canada through a marine port. Containers are the predominant form of transportation as they are compact and quickly off-loaded from a vessel for subsequent movement by rail or truck to various destinations throughout Canada and the United States.

Marine ports often consist of a large physical environment, along with a significant workforce, that creates difficulties for effective security and enforcement regulation and control. These difficulties have assisted the development of criminal elements operating within marine ports to facilitate contraband movement, a situation that has been identified, particularly at the three major container ports of Halifax, Montreal and Vancouver. This criminal presence has developed over a period of decades and has enabled their entrenchment in various positions within the port workforce. While many major organized crime groups have some links to Canada’s marine ports, the most significant criminal influences are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs, Traditional (Italian-based) crime groups and local domestic crime groups.

The criminal presence within a marine port is often not apparent to the majority of port employees. It is not necessarily a pervasive presence and may be limited to small number of individuals within key positions that are influential in the movement of commercial cargo off a vessel and within the port environment. In some instances, criminal elements within the port will subject legitimate employees to intimidation to either enlist their cooperation or ensure their silence.

During 2002, there were successful enforcement actions at the Ports of Halifax and Montreal that disrupted the illegal activities of a major criminal group operating within each port. However, despite these enforcement successes, there remains a criminal presence within each port that could potentially continue to facilitate the future movement of contraband, particularly illicit drugs, into Canada. For example, trafficking organizations continued to exploit the Port of Halifax as a conduit for illicit drugs as evident in two subsequent seizures by law enforcement: 11.5 tonnes of hashish in January 2003; and 172 kilograms of cocaine in March 2003.

There are a number of smaller marine ports along both the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines that receive international shipping and are potentially vulnerable to criminal exploitation. For example, the Port of Saint John in New Brunswick was the site of a seizure by law enforcement of 1433 kilograms of marihuana and 72 kilograms of hashish oil in July 2002. As well, there are ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway and within the Great Lakes system, while not capable of receiving the large container vessels, do have varying levels of port facilities and could receive some international shipping, either from overseas or the United States. In some instances, these ports are near major areas of organized crime presence and operation.

Canadian law enforcement has been aware of the threat posed by organized crime at marine ports, especially since the 1997 disbanding of the Ports Canada Police shifted port enforcement responsibilities entirely to local police agencies and private security companies. Since 1998, CISC has reported on the organized criminal threat at Canada’s marine ports and, in March 2000, established a National Working Group to coordinate information and intelligence sharing pertaining to organized crime in marine ports. Heightened security awareness has led to additional concerns over the potential of a marine port as a conduit into North America of illegal individuals or material that could contribute to acts of terrorism. To enhance marine port security, a five year additional federal funding plan of $172.5 million was announced in January 2003.