Avoiding the risks of drug smuggling In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of cases of drug smuggling by ships. This has been accompanied by an increased risk of ships being detained by the authorities for long periods of time and having large fines imposed. We would like to ask all of our members to be aware of the risks of drug smuggling and to take strict measures to prevent it.   1 ．Increasing incidents of drug smuggling It is reported by the International Group of P&I Clubs that the numbers of drug smuggling cases have increased in recent years. When drug smuggling is discovered by the authorities, the vessel and its crew can be detained for a long time and fined heavily. In our Circular No.20-003 of 12 May 2020, we alerted our members to a case where illegal narcotics were found on board a vessel in Mexico and the vessel and crew were detained.   2 ．Areas of high incidents of drug smuggling The countries where drugs are loaded include Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, North America, and China. Latin America is by far the most common destination, with other countries including Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Uruguay. In Europe, Greece, Italy, Spain, France, and Turkey are among the countries. The countries where drugs were discharged including Peru, Panama, Belgium, Mexico, Colombia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Italy, and Libya. From the above, it is considered that the risk of drug smuggling is considered to be particularly high for vessels operating between Central and South America, or on routes from Central and South America to North America and Europe.   3．Examples of drug smuggling cases by sea in Japan Drug smuggling into Japan is also on the increase. The following are some recent examples.   In August 2018 (Port of Yokohama) A container ship arrived at Yokohama from Colombia via Panama and Mexico. Cocaine (115kg in total, with a street value of 2.3 billion yen) stu