Amsterdam Court Jails Hacker in Port Cocaine Plot

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal on Friday ruled that a hacker who manipulated European port systems to enable cocaine smuggling played a key technical role in a criminal trafficking operation. In a decision that underscores the growing intersection of cybercrime and organized drug trade, the Amsterdam court jailed the hacker for seven years, linking him to ports compromised in 2020 and 2021.

Prosecutors said the hacker helped traffickers access and manipulate logistical software, allowing cocaine shipments to move through high-security transport hubs undetected. The malware-enabled breaches gave the traffickers real-time access to cargo information, letting them extract smuggled drugs before legitimate handlers could intervene.

Judges at the appellate court described the hacker’s actions as vital to “modern drug trafficking,” emphasizing that without his involvement, the operation could not have functioned at scale. The Amsterdam court jails hacker again following the appeal, reaffirming the original conviction.

Read the full report here:
https://therecord.media/dutch-court-sentences-hacker-who-smuggled-cocaine-ports