The Tactical Displacements of the Rip-Off: An Analysis of Cocaine Exportation through Brazilian Ports

Research in cocaine destination ports, particularly in Europe, has identified the rip-off as one of the prevailing modalities of drug importation, in which illegal goods are hidden in containers with legal merchandise from exporters and importers not involved in the trafficking scheme. This article addresses the rip-off in origin ports in Latin America, qualitatively analyzing the tactical displacements of this modality in exportation. Based on fieldwork in the Brazilian ports of Santos and Paranaguá, we compare international typologies with local analyses, from which we distinguish the rip-off into classic, contemporary, and fake. We indicate that the displacements of this modality blur its typological definitions and illustrate the complexity of organized crime as an activity.