News briefing – Week of 23 May

23/05 EUROPOL’ s operation: Nearly 40 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes were seized in France. The investigation, involving several customs services and the assistance of the French network of customs attachés (especially in Dubai), led to the seizure of 40 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes in the Marseille and Paris regions. 23/05 Trafficking of Illegal Firearms Severely…

News briefing week of 24 January

25/01 Illicit gold mining in Ecuador – challenges and considerations. Although exploration of the country’s mineral resources is not complete, the government estimates that the mining of gold and copper will generate around USD $4 billion in tax revenue and about USD $40 billion in exports over the next decade. There are, however, challenges with…

News briefing week of 19 July

22/07 Spain and Serbia dismantle Serbian marijuana trafficking network. 43 members of a Serbian organised crime group have been arrested for their involvement in producing and distributing marijuana and hashish. 22/07 350 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a coffee bean shipment from Guatemala were seized by the Greek police at the port of Piraeus. The…

News Briefing – Week of 15 March 2021

15/03 – In southern Italy, the <a href=”https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/03/italy-mob-trial-rinascita-scott-history.html”>“Rinascita-Scott” trial</a>, the first so-called “maxi trial” of the ’Ndrangheta, began on January 13. &nbsp; 15/03 – The latest ENACT paper considers solutions Africa should take to limit the proliferation of <a href=”https://enactafrica.org/research/policy-briefs/an-explosive-situation-managing-arms-caches-in-africa-the-case-of-the-recsa-region”>small arms and light weapons on the continent</a>. &nbsp; 16/03 – A joint operation of the…

News Briefing – Week of 08 March 2021

08/03 – Ukraine border guards prevented two attempts to <a href=”https://border-security-report.com/ukraine-border-guards-prevent-groups-smuggling-cigarettes-to-romania/”>smuggle cigarettes into Romania</a>. &nbsp; 08/03 – The Brazilian criminal group <a href=”https://insightcrime.org/news/how-brazils-borders-became-more-diverse-dangerous/”>Primeiro Comando da Capital</a> has expanded exponentially, both inside Brazil and in Paraguay, over the last two years. &nbsp; 09/03 – Danish police arrested 13 individuals for their alleged role in <a href=”https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/seizure-of-%E2%82%AC14-million-worth-of-contraband-cigarette-leads-to-13-arrests-in-danish-dutch-sting”>smuggling…

News Briefing – Week of 22 February 2021

22/02 – German police arrested two suspects and raided over 20 locations in Berlin during a massive operation that targeted members of a family-based organized crime group allegedly involved in arms and drug trafficking, financial crime, and other crimes.   23/02 – Indonesian authorities seized over 11,000 wild birds last month, mostly songbirds headed for…

News Briefing – Week of 01 February 2021

01/02 – Hungarian officials found 3,000 boxes of smuggled cigarettes in Röszke during an inspection of a Turkish truck transporting smoked trout fillets.   01/02 – The Bulgarian authorities, with Europol support, took down an organised crime group suspected of currency and document counterfeiting.   02/02 – The Colombian Policía Metropolitana seized 457 kilograms of…

News Briefing – Week of 25 January 2021

25/01 – According to a new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Balkan arms smugglers are supplying Sweden’s criminal groups with assault rifles, Serbian pistols and Yugoslav-era hand grenades.   25/01 – The Spanish Civil Guard dismantled an organisation allegedly trafficking drug to other European countries. The agents arrested 24 people and…