A Dutch appeals court has sentenced a 44-year-old man to seven years in prison for his role in a cyber-enabled drug smuggling operation that targeted major European ports, including Rotterdam and Antwerp.
Judges found that the man provided the technical expertise that allowed an organised crime group to bypass port security systems and move cocaine through logistics hubs without detection. The scheme operated in 2020 and 2021 and relied on unauthorised access to internal port networks used to manage container movements and site access.
Prosecutors said the operation resulted in the import of approximately 210 kilogrammes of cocaine through the Port of Rotterdam, one of Europe’s busiest shipping centres. The drugs were concealed in a container of wine bottles aboard the cargo vessel Callao Express, which was intercepted by Dutch authorities in September 2020.
Court findings show the breach began when the defendant persuaded an employee at an Antwerp container terminal to connect a malware-infected USB device to a work computer.
The software created hidden remote access, allowing the group to monitor containers, manipulate gate systems and issue entry credentials. Investigators said the malware remained active for months and repeatedly attempted to gain administrator-level access.
Much of the evidence came from encrypted messages exchanged on Sky ECC, a communications service used by criminal networks before it was dismantled by law enforcement in 2021. In those messages, the defendant described his ability to control port operations and guided accomplices through the hacking process.
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The court also convicted the man of helping fabricate transport documents and electronic records in Portbase, the Dutch port logistics platform, to facilitate the movement of the drug shipment.
In addition, judges found him guilty of attempted extortion after he demanded €1.2 million ($1.4 million) from relatives of an individual involved in a dispute over missing cocaine, threatening violence if the money was not paid.
