MASIF and SEACOP are collaborating on a maritime threat assessment of the Transatlantic to understand the extent of threats beyond drug trafficking. An initial desk review identified illicit timber flows and gold smuggling as commodities also crossing the Atlantic, with weapons and waste also being moved by sea in areas covered by the Global Illicit Flows Programme.
To deepen understanding of these threats, how they move and who is involved, a team of experts is conducting deep dives across the GIFP regions and in European ports. Fieldwork began in Trinidad and Tobago, where go fast vessels can reach the islands from Venezuela in less than ten minutes. The SEACOP Maritime Intelligence Unit (MIU) took the research team to the CARICOM port and marinas where they profile vessels and assess the risk of illicit activity.
The research team has continued their field visit on to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Peru, meeting with SEACOP MIUs, national authorities, journalists, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders with knowledge of, or an interest in maritime trafficking. Later in September the field work will continue in ports in Africa and Europe.
The initial findings from the research will be presented during the EU’s Crime Fighting Week in September in Brussels.
