Task force seizes half a ton of cocaine on ship in the Amazon

Law enforcement authorities have retrieved 480 kilos of cocaine concealed in various compartments of a bulk carrier anchored at Macapá

Record seizure in Amapá

On 21 November 2025, a coordinated task force consisting of the Federal Police, Highway Police, Military Police, Civil Police, and the Amapá Air Tactical Group (GTA) conducted an operation that led to the seizure of 480 kilograms of cocaine. The narcotics were hidden in different compartments of a Portuguese-flagged bulk carrier anchored off the port of Santana in Macapá. The ship had recently discharged imported fertilisers at the river port of Itacoatiara. It was anchored in ballast near Fazendinha Pilot Station, awaiting its turn to sail upriver to Santarém for cargo loading.

Reportedly, this operation marked the largest cocaine seizure in the state of Amapá.

Ship released

Despite the record amount of illicit drugs discovered, no arrests have been made so far. After questioning and evidence, local authorities cleared the ship to continue its voyage to Santarém, where it is scheduled to load soya bean meal bound for the Middle East. The Federal Police are expected to inform relevant international drug enforcement agencies about the discovery aboard the vessel in the Amazon.

Amazon gateway

The Fazendinha Pilot Station, located at the northern mouth of the Amazon River, serves as the primary checkpoint for ships arriving from the Atlantic and marks the beginning of compulsory pilotage for ships navigating upriver. The region’s waterways are associated with security challenges, particularly drug trafficking and other crimes such as armed robbery, as highlighted in this report. Notably, last July, the Federal Police and Amapá’s Civil Police intercepted 400 kilos of cocaine in a rural safehouse in Macapá, which the police suspect was intended for smuggling on ships operating within the Amazon region and destined abroad.

Basic precautionary measures

Shipmasters and crew members can implement several proactive strategies to mitigate the risk of unwittingly becoming involved in international drug trafficking:

• Illuminate the deck area, access points, and the vessel’s overside during darkness while in port or at anchor.
• Secure and lock off-limits areas, such as accommodations and deck stores, and closely monitor the activities of stevedores, contractors, and visitors.
• Keep the shoreside gangway ladder well-guarded, stow the seaside ladder securily, and conduct regular patrols around the deck and access areas.
• Maintain a detailed log of all personnel entering and exiting the vessel, including authorities, stevedores, and ship agents.
• Conduct random bag checks at entry and exit points, especially when there is suspicion about items carried by shoreside personnel.
• Monitor the working cargo hold to ensure the cargo remains in apparent condition and that no unauthorised objects are placed inside.
• Restrict access to crew quarters and non-working cargo holds, ensuring these areas remain closed.
• Log the activities of any service barges moored alongside the vessel.
• Observe nearby small craft and workboats for suspiciously indicative activities, such as diving, illuminating any suspicious ships or underwater operations with floodlights as needed.
• Conduct thorough searches of the vessel, including cargo spaces, to look for suspicious packages before departing a port or shifting to another berth within the same port.
• Arrange for underwater inspection if suspicion arises, or information suggests that drugs may have been sneaked into the vessel’s hull and underwater niches.

No Brazilian port, irrespective of its size or activity level, is immune to the threat of drug trafficking. Although local authorities often assume crew members are oblivious or uninvolved in illicit activities – especially when narcotics are secured in submerged compartments or shipping containers – this perception can shift drastically if drugs are discovered in more accessible areas aboard. As such, crews must maintain vigilance throughout their stay in Brazilian waters, both while docked or anchored, and strictly adhere to the ship security plan.

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