The Cocaine Route Programme (CRP) has enlarged its mandate and perspectives in its fight against organised crime and drug trafficking with its newest component “COLIBRI: Monitoring and Controlling General Aviation along the Cocaine Route”.
The COLIBRI Project aims at combating more effectively organised crime and the challenges raised by cocaine trafficking on the vector of General Aviation, in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as West and Central Africa and therefore complements the ongoing CRP components.
General aviation is not subject to the same level of scrutiny, control and security measures as commercial air transport, even in highly sensitive areas. This fast, discreet mode of transport represents an opportunity for organised crime. COLIBRI is conceived to tackle the challenge of improving security in this specific channel which currently suffers from a security vacuum.
COLIBRI’s overall objective is to build the organisational capacities of customs administrations and their relevant law enforcement partners, by strengthening the international and interdepartmental coordination and the information sharing. This will enable them to monitor GA activities at national, regional and international level, and fight against fraud specific to private aviation, both leisure and business. This combined effort from the World Customs Organisations (WCO) and the European Union (EU) will help protect the rule of law and contribute to sustainable development and peace across all zones exposed to cocaine trafficking towards Europe.
The project is implemented by the WCO (drug and precursor programme) within the framework of the Cocaine Route Programme. It kicked off in January 2019.
