Dark Ships, Trafficked Seafarers: Uncovering a Global Network of Illicit Smuggling at Sea

Each year, thousands of young seafarers are unwittingly trafficked into slave-like and dangerous conditions aboard "dark ships" that transport illicit cargo around the globe.

Unlicensed recruitment agents trawl villages in low-income areas of India and other Asian nations, promising young men the chance to earn a lucrative income at sea. They extract thousands of dollars of illegal "recruitment fees" from families, hoping to build a better life.

Yet often, these seafarers end up working for no payment, detained, or sometimes stranded on abandoned vessels for months or years. Their treatment and working conditions usually have indicators of human trafficking and forced labour.

When transporting illegal cargo, these vessels regularly switch off their Automatic Identification System to avoid detection, a practice known as "going dark," which is generally illegal under international maritime laws.

The state to which a vessel's flag is registered is ultimately responsible for its regulatory compliance and safeguarding. The flag state must ensure that the ship operators and managers comply with international regulations. However, operators of dark ships either obtain fraudulent registrations or acquire flags from countries that do not enforce maritime regulations.

Journalist Katie McQue investigates human trafficking and illicit supply chains at sea while identifying the companies, ship owners, and nation-states that operate them, and highlighting the regulatory loopholes that allow these networks to flourish.