The European Drug Report 2020 is out!

The European Drug Report (EDR) 2020 was released on 22 September 2020. The EDR is a yearly publication produced and presented by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). It aims at providing a picture of the drug and drug addiction situation across Europe as well as identifying current trends. The 2020…

News Briefing – Week of 14 September

15/09/2020 – A former DEA agent who was active in Colombia and was facing corruption charges in the US has pleaded guilty. 17/09/2020 – The Albanian-speaking cocaine trafficking organisation “Kompania Bello” was taken down in an international operation named “Los Blancos”. The operation was supported by EUROJUST and EUROPOL. On 15 September 2020, simultaneous raid in several…

News Briefing – Week of 7 September

07/09/2020 – The French Minister for Home Affairs declared that the fight against drug trafficking is his first priority. Indeed, he considers drug trafficking as the source and driver for many kinds of other types of trafficking. 08/09/2020 – Spain and Morocco are committed to strengthening their ties in the fight against organised crime. The cooperation agreement,…

News Briefing – Week of 17 August

18/08/2020 – 600kg of cocaine were seized in Rotterdam. The drugs were hidden in a containerised chemical shipment from Brazil. 19/08/2020 – Brazilian authorities dismantled a large drug trafficking ring during an operation mobilising about 600 officers in 13 regions. During this operation, seven aeroplanes and five helicopters as well as other assets linked to the network were confiscated.  21/07/2020 –…

News Briefing – Week of 27 July

29/07/2020 – The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs stated during a press briefing that Africa has become a hub for organised crime and a source of illicit drugs, mentioning the involvement of Nigerian organisation in the manufacture of methamphetamines. 30/07/2020 -A fleet of 206 Chinese fishing boats…

News Briefing – Week of 20 July

20/07/2020 – Mexico’s Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection and EUROPOL concluded a formal Working Arrangement to expand their collaboration on security matters. 21/07/2020 – Costa Rican and Honduran authorities seized almost three tonnes of cocaine. Costa Rican authorities seized two tonnes in national waters on board a ship in collaboration with US and Colombian authorities whilst Honduras intercepted a…

News Briefing – Week of 29 June

29/06/2020 – A joint investigation between Spanish and Italian law enforcement enabled the dismantlement of an organised crime group trafficking waste from the canary islands to Africa. It is estimated that the organised crime group trafficked around 250 tonnes of hazardous waste. 29/06/2020 – Greek authorities arrested two suspected traffickers after the discovery of 11kg of heroin…

The AIRCOP network in Latin America and the Caribbean keeps yielding outstanding results!

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected air traffic worldwide, the AIRCOP network remains attentive and operational. In June 2020, several of the AIRCOP JAITFs in collaboration with partners and beneficiaries in Latin America and the Caribbean intercepted multiple illicit commodities that included: 95 kg of cannabis from six different and independent seizures made by…

News Briefing – Week of 22 June

22/06/2020 – French customs seized 552 kg of cannabis in a lorry that left Spain and was transporting fruits and vegetable to the Rungis market. 23/06/2020 – Wildlife trafficking in Colombia is prolific. The fight against the wildlife trafficking industry is not yet fully operational because the country is not yet equipped with the adequate legislation and technologies…