20.09.24 – 8 arrested for smuggling migrants across the Turkish-Bulgarian border. On 19 September, Bulgarian authorities, supported by Europol, dismantled a criminal network smuggling migrants from Türkiye via Bulgaria and Serbia towards Western Southern Europe. The investigation, involving Greek and Romanian authorities, was conducted in the framework of a regional Operational Task Force set up to investigate migrant smuggling networks using Bulgaria as a transit country. The investigation was initiated at the beginning of 2023 when Bulgarian authorities found migrants smuggled by this network. So far, national authorities have detected 15 smuggling incidents. The smuggling network allegedly facilitated the illegal secondary movements of over 700 irregular migrants towards other parts of the EU. The suspected ringleaders, predominantly Syrian nationals, coordinated the smuggling activities while maintaining contacts with smugglers and hawaladars in Turkey and Greece, as well as in other countries along the smuggling route. The suspects facilitated the transportation of migrants from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to accommodations in the region of Sofia. After a short stay there, they were further transported to the Bulgarian-Serbian border.
19.09.24 – Four Irish organised crime groups compromised in Ghost hack. Four organised crime groups were targeted after a global operation took down an encrypted phone network called Ghost. Seizures of €16 million of drugs, 11 high-value targets arrested and four organised crime groups targeted after an encrypted phone network called Ghost is taken down.
18.09.24 – Global Coalition Takes Down New Criminal Communication Platform. Europol and Eurojust, together with law enforcement and judicial authorities from around the world, have successfully dismantled an encrypted communication platform that was established to facilitate serious and organised crime perpetrated by dangerous criminal networks operating on a global scale. The platform, known as Ghost, was used as a tool to carry out a wide range of criminal activities, including large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, instances of extreme violence and other forms of serious and organised crime. Ghost had gained traction among criminal organisations due to its advanced security features. Users could purchase the tool without declaring any personal information. The solution used three encryption standards and offered the option to send a message followed by a specific code which would result in the self-destruction of all messages on the target phone. This allowed criminal networks to communicate securely, evade detection, counter forensic measures, and coordinate their illegal operations across borders.
17.09.24 – Ecuador leader proposes lifting ban on foreign military bases. Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, has said he wants to change his country’s constitution to allow the presence of foreign military bases. He made the proposal 15 years after the last US soldiers left the base of Manta, on Ecuador’s Pacific coast, and returned it to the Ecuadorean military. President Noboa argues that Ecuador needs foreign military help to fight transnational crime gangs which are using the country as a major transit route for drugs smuggled from South American to Europe and the US.
17.09.24 – Major Garda operation taking place nationwide to tackle organised crime. A major Garda operation is taking place nationwide targeting an organised crime group. Numerous officers from all over the country are taking part in the sting. It is understood millions of euros worth of cocaine has already been recovered in this operation and a number of arrests have been made. It is believed they are targeting a crime group that is based in the west of Dublin. Hundreds of officers are involved in the operation which began last night in Co Wexford and is continuing this afternoon with searches in Dublin. Gardaí say this is a live operation and so they will not be commenting any further on it.
