18/07 – Red-hot demand for ipê wood coincides with deforestation hubs in Brazil. The highest rates of illegal exploitation of ipê trees are found in areas of the Brazilian Amazon where deforestation is skyrocketing. Increasing domestic consumption and exports have encouraged the felling of these threatened tropical hardwood species, with demand outstripping the authorized supply…
14/07- 514 employers linked to labour infringements identified across the EU. An EU-wide coordinated action week targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation and related offences took place between 15 and 21 June 2022. The action days, supported by Europol, were led by the Netherlands and co-led by France, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom and…
4 July – Spanish police seize underwater drug-smuggling drones (video). Police in Spain have broken up a gang that was allegedly building semi-submersible drones, each capable of ferrying up to 200kg of drugs across the strait of Gibraltar. The Policía Nacional, which arrested eight people in Cádiz, Málaga and Barcelona, said it was the first…
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…
