06/10 – Italian operation takes down corrupt port workers facilitating ‘Ndrangheta drug trafficking activities. With the support of Europol and Eurojust, the Italian Financial Corps (Guardia di Finanza) has dismantled a criminal network which relied on corrupt workers in the port of Gioia Tauro to smuggle hundreds of millions of euros’ worth of cocaine into Europe. Today, some three hundred police officers carried out coordinated raids against the members of this highly professional criminal syndicate linked to the ‘Ndrangheta. Property searches were carried out in the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Vibo Valentia, Bari, Naples, Rome, Terni, Vicenza, Milan and Novara, resulting so far in 31 arrests and 7 million euros worth of criminal assets being seized.
06/10 – More than EUR 4 million in fake 500 euro bills seized in Spain. On 21 September 2022, Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and the Spanish Regional Catalan Police (Mossos d’Esquadra) to dismantle an organised crime group involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit euro banknotes. The police intervention also involved the Bank of Spain’s Investigation Brigade, support units from the General Council of the Judiciary (Consejo General del Poder Judicial) and agents from the Anti-Riot Units (Unidades de Intervención Policial) to facilitate access and secure the area. Canine units were also deployed to detect counterfeit banknotes.
07/10 – Human trafficking on the rise in Germany. Police and customs officials across Germany responded to some 510 cases of human trafficking in 2021, according to a report published by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on Friday. This represents a 10% increase over the previous year. Abuse of children in trafficking cases rose even more significantly, the BKA said. At least 237 children were affected, 23% more than in 2020. The kinds of crimes that fall under this umbrella include the creation of child sexual abuse imagery as well as forced prostitution.
07/10 – Six EU countries agree to boost cross-border cooperation against drug crimes. The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy add Spain have agreed to bolster their cooperation with Latin American nations to fight organised crime, specifically drug trafficking. During a meeting of ministers and officials on Friday in Amsterdam, a city hit by drug-related violence in recent years, the six countries pledged to strengthen ports and maritime security, as well as reinforce their use of technology to tackle crime gangs.
10/10 – Alleged Malaysian Wildlife Trafficker Extradited to US. Teo Boon Ching has been accused of running a smuggling network that funneled rhino horn and other products from Africa to customers in China and Vietnam. Thai authorities have extradited to the United States a Malaysian national accused of orchestrating the large-scale trade in endangered wildlife products in Malaysia and Thailand. Teo Boon Ching, 57, was arrested in Thailand on June 29 for wildlife trafficking and money laundering, charges that he is now set to face in the U.S.
