Private Port Authorities and Organized Crime

Large seaports are hubs that offer a peculiar link between flows (local and global chains/trades) and places (cities, logistics, and clusters of production embedded around inner ports). Given this premise, this chapter studies ports as gateways to observe illegal flows moved by organized criminal groups (OCGs) (i.e., narcotics trafficking and smuggling of migrants). Qualitative data, collected through semi-structured interviews and court files, are used to analyze ports as hubs for the activities of organized crime with a focus on illicit flows of goods and people, corruption, and the extralegal governance of ports. It is argued that OCGs exploit maritime shipping not only on the high seas but also through ports, many of which are privately managed or owned. The latter feature sheds light on the important role port authorities could play independently or in collaboration with state authorities to prevent, detect, investigate, and respond to threats to port security associated with organized crime. In this vein, this chapter pays attention to seaports as complex systems characterized by intersecting interests of state agencies, private companies, and organized crime.