G7 Launches Global Port Security Network to Combat Drug Trafficking

France on Monday laurched a new G7-backed network linking major seaports, customs authorities and international organizations in an effort to crack down on drug trafficking through global maritime supply chains.

The G7+ Ports Network to Combat Drug Trafficking, announced during the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris on November 9, brings together 14 ports and participating countries, including Brazil and South Korea, alongside the G7 nations.

The initiative aims to improve intelligence sharing, strengthen cooperation between port and customs authorities, and better identify shipping routes and containers being exploited by criminal organizations.

The network was first proposed at the G7 leaders’ summit in Évian, France, in June, when leaders issued a joint declaration identifying maritime transport as the primary route for international drug and precursor chemical trafficking.

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