**Hacker Sentenced to 7 Years for Using Port Systems to Smuggle Cocaine**

A Dutch court has delivered a significant blow to international cocaine traffickers, sentencing a 44-year-old man to seven years in prison for hacking a major port company in Belgium to facilitate the smuggling of large quantities of the illicit substance into the Netherlands.

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the defendant played a crucial technical role in a sophisticated criminal network that exploited port computer systems between 2020 and 2021. This brazen operation allowed traffickers to move drugs through Europe's logistics hubs undetected, taking advantage of the vast network of ports that crisscross the continent.

Prosecutors revealed that the hacking scheme enabled the importation of a staggering 210 kilograms of cocaine via the Port of Rotterdam – one of Europe's largest and most critical trade gateways. This port serves as a crucial entry point for global commerce, with millions of containers passing through its gates each year.

According to court documents, the defendant masterminded the operation by persuading a port employee at a container terminal in Antwerp to insert a USB stick loaded with malicious software into a work computer. The malware created a digital backdoor, granting the hacker remote access to internal port systems used for managing containers, gates, and personnel access.

Once inside the system, the defendant was able to manipulate the ports' internal workings to conceal the presence of the cocaine shipments. This allowed traffickers to move large quantities of illicit substances through Europe's logistics hubs without arousing suspicion from authorities or security personnel.

The complexity and audacity of this operation are a stark reminder of the evolving nature of international organized crime. As technology continues to advance, so too do the tactics employed by those seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in global supply chains for their own nefarious purposes.

With this conviction, Dutch authorities have dealt a significant blow to one of the key players behind this large-scale smuggling operation. However, as law enforcement officials will attest, there is still much work to be done to dismantle the broader network and prevent similar operations from occurring in the future.