Dockers in Drugs: Policing the Illegal Drug Trade and Port Employee Corruption in the Port of Rotterdam
Yarin Eski, Romano Buijt
Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice11/24/2016·DOI·Read paper
Abstract
This contribution shall focus on corrupt Port of Rotterdam employees who fulfilled a role in the illegal drug trade by being involved in so-called rip-off cases. By ‘rip-off’ is meant the use of legitimate cargo and containers to hide bags of drugs, whereas the traditional rip-off consists of a buyer being deceived by a drug seller (e.g. purity of drugs is halved). To understand the reasons for their corruption, an in-depth qualitative thematic analysis of official police files took place in 2014. Although law enforcement agencies explain that port employees are solely financially motivated to assist in rip-offs, this study shows that their financial motivations are intertwined with social justifications construed by port employees during their interrogations. Their self-justifications are focused on illegitimately pursuing the legitimate goal of taking care of family, amplified by criminal seductions coming from colleagues. Implications for an evidence-based port policing aimed to police corrupt port employees, and with it, the illegal drug trade, shall be considered as well.
Make this part of your paper trail
Save this paper to a shelf, write a review, and keep your own notes.