Research Transportation and Border Security by Sea

Transportation and Border Security by Sea
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Transportation and Border Security by Sea
Sea transport is very important as far as the economy is concerned. It is estimated that over 90% of the world trade occurs between countries through the sea transport, ships being the main mode of transport. About 50,000 merchant ships sail across the world's oceans and seas ferrying trade goods such as fuel, construction materials, agricultural products, household products and unfortunately illegal drugs and weapons. However, despite the significance of the sea transport to the world economies, there are critical security issues associated with this mode of transport which poses security threats at the borders. Major security issues are drug trafficking, immigrants, and piracy. This paper seeks to examine drug trafficking, immigrants and piracy as the major vulnerability in the sea transport as well as suggesting viable measures that can be put in place to mitigate these problems.
Drug Trafficking By Sea Transport
Drug trafficking is a global problem. A huge percentage of the drug trafficking occurs by sea transport. Most of the drugs smuggled through the sea include cocaine and heroin. Currently, heroin trafficked through the sea stands at 450 tons into global markets (Murphy, 2013). Notorious countries that produce most of the drug traffickers are Democratic Republic and Afghanistan. There are sea routes used by perpetrators linking Afghanistan to Europe and the Russian Federation as well as the ones linking West Africa to European nations by sea (Hu, et al., 2013). There are also links from Pakistan, India, Africa and Europe to the United States used by the drug traffickers. Most of the drugs enter the United States through Mexico and Central America.
As globalization transforms the world, drug trafficking is exploding. It is estimated that over four hundred and twenty million shipping containers ferrying illegal drugs traverse the seas annually. The drug cargo accumulates to the 90% of the total cargo transported by sea. Even the shipping containers that carry legitimate goods and sometimes not inspected by the port authorities have been found to incorporate drugs within the cargo (Hu, et al., 2013). This is one of the new tricks used by the drug traffickers. It makes detection of the drugs difficult.
Drug traffickers have shifted the techniques through which they traverse the seas and avoid the inspection by authorities (Hu, et al., 2013). The traffickers have come up with the "rip on/rip-off" technique which involves the use of corrupt port officials. The officials are bribed to break the container seals, smuggle in the drugs and seal the containers again. Traffickers are also using breast implants to conceal liquid drugs and transport them through shipping containers (Hu, et al., 2013).
Illegal Immigration by Sea
Europe is the leading continent that has experienced many illegal immigrants getting their way through the Mediterranean Sea. Violence, economic situations, and conflicts are the causes of the migrations of people from the wars in their countries. In the third quarter of the year 2014, illegal immigrants amounting to 128, 725 were found within the ...