News Briefing – Week of 24 May 2021

26/05 The Council set the 2022-2025 EU priorities for the fight against serious and organised crime through the European multi-disciplinary platform against criminal threats (EMPACT). EU member states identified 10 crime priorities: High-risk criminal networks, Cyber-attacks, Trafficking in human beings, Child sexual exploitation, Migrant smuggling, Drugs trafficking, Fraud, economic and financial crimes, Organised property crime,…

News Briefing – Week of 10 May 2021

10/03 Police in Belgium and the Netherlands have made dozens of arrests in a vast operation against organised crime after an encrypted communications network popular with criminals was broken up. Belgian police made 48 arrests and carried out some 200 raids. The police seized €1.2 million in cash, as well as 15 illegal firearms, jewelry,…

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 01 March 2021

01/03 – In Belize, corrupt police officials have been implicated in facilitating drug flows through the nation, according to a new InSight Crime article.   01/03 – French law enforcement arrested 38 people, accused of trafficking Moldovan nationals to France for illegal labour on construction sites, providing falsified EU identification documents, and money laundering.  …

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 15 February 2021

15/02  – Afghanistan’s opium poppy economy presents a complex policy problem. The latest Drugs & (dis)order project report gives an overview and background understanding of the counter-narcotics laws, policies and programmes that have underpinned counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan since 2001.   15/02 – Due to the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, vulnerable communities…

News Briefing – Week of 08 February 2021

08/02 – In a joint operation by the Spanish Civil Guard, the National Police and the Internal Revenue Service dismantled an alleged Chinese Mafia organisation dedicated to international drug trafficking and money laundering through parcel companies. Agents arrested 38 suspects and carried out 30 searches in the provinces of Madrid, Salamanca, Toledo, Asturias, Lugo and…

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…