Dutch court convicts hacker who exploited port networks for drug trafficking

Dutch appeals court jailed a 44-year-old hacker for seven years for hacking port systems to help smuggle cocaine through European logistics hubs into the Netherlands, reducing the sentence from 10 years after a lengthy appeal process lasting more than 21 months, according to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal.

Prosecutors said the scheme enabled the import of 210 kg of cocaine through the Port of Rotterdam, with the defendant bribing an Antwerp port worker to insert a malware‑infected USB that created a backdoor granting remote access to container, gate and access-control systems. Investigators relied heavily on Sky ECC messages, where the defendant detailed his control of port systems and coached accomplices through the hacking.

The malware allowed covert remote access to monitor containers, manipulate gates and issue entry credentials, persisting for months while seeking admin rights. The group stole and shared sensitive data such as camera locations, staff photos and layouts, and judges said the hack aimed to support drug trafficking and seriously endangered port security.

The court found the man guilty of forging transport documents and Portbase records to move cocaine shipments and convicted him of attempted extortion for threatening relatives over missing cocaine and demanding €1.2 million under the threat of violence. He remains imprisoned in the western Netherlands and has filed another appeal.