29 June – Thirteen arrested over German cashpoint explosions that netted gang over EUR 1.6 million. The German authorities, together with their Dutch and Belgian counterparts, have arrested thirteen members of a Dutch gang linked to 12 attacks against cash machines in Germany, causing millions of euros in damage. 1 July – Chile receiving synthetic…
21/06 Phishing gang behind several million euros worth of losses busted in Belgium and the Netherlands. The suspects sent emails and text messages with phishing links to bogus banking websites. A cross-border operation, supported by Europol and involving the Belgian Police and the Dutch Police, resulted in the dismantling of this organised crime group involved…
12/06 Illegal donkey skin trade is a ‘trojan horse’ for wildlife trafficking, claims charity. Vast numbers of donkey skins are being sold illegally on social media sites, a new investigation has revealed. 13/06 A double-edged sword: The role of technology in combating wildlife crime. New approaches are needed to develop, procure and implement technology in…
06/06 International Maritime Organization adopts new guidelines to combat wildlife smuggling. The 46th Meeting of the Facilitation Committee (FAL46) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted new ‘Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic’. 06/06 Team Europe strengthens cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean…
30/05 Five arrests in Hungary for money laundering across three continents. The Budapest Metropolitan Police (Budapesti Rendőr-főkapitányság), supported by Europol, dismantled a criminal organisation involved in money laundering and perpetrating fraud using administrative documents. 01/06 Security Challenges Threaten to Derail Democratic Strides in Central African Region, Briefers Tell Security Council. Marking both democratic strides and…
05/05 Taliban opium ban could lead to increase in organised crime and terrorism. The Taliban’s recent ban on opium cultivation in Afghanistan, a repeat of previous attempts under Taliban rule up to 2001, shows how large-scale illicit drug economies are a fierce vector for organised crime and terrorism. The ban was announced last month in response to…
26/04 Surge in drug abuse strains Zimbabwe’s health system. Zimbabwe does not have official data on drug or substance abuse, but organisations such as ZCLDN say anecdotal evidence points to high illicit drug use in the country, especially after the outbreak of Covid-19. 29/04 New Europol and EMCDDA Analyses of the European Drug Market. Europol and…
18/04 The global environmental impacts of cocaine. The environmental impacts of cocaine have long been known. Studies raised alarm bells in the 1990s over narco-driven deforestation, soil degradation and pollution in Latin America. Today, the impacts all along the illegal drug supply chain are even better understood and documented but remain underrecognized and underreported. 21/04…
07/04 Cape Verdean police seize over 5 tonnes of cocaine. Cape Verdean police seized more than five tonnes of cocaine at sea onboard a fishing boat from Brazil, with the help of American agents. 09/04 Major cocaine smuggling gang busted in Algeciras with 3,500 kilos of the drug found. A joint operation involving officers from…
21/03 CRIMJUST organised its first capacity-building on “Cyber Elements of Drug Trafficking Investigations” under the framework of its new INL-funded project in West Africa. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a training on “Cyber Elements of Drug Trafficking Investigations”, in Cotonou, Benin for law enforcement officers from the Republican Police of Benin and…
