French and Romanian authorities dismantled a vast human trafficking ring with the support of Eurojust and Europol. 13 victims of sexual exploitation were saved, and 13 suspects were arrested. Russian customs have seized 400 kilos of cocaine estimated around $70M hidden in St-Petersburg port. The illicit drug came by ship from Ecuador and was hidden […]
Spanish Police arrested eleven suspects after custom officers seized one tonne of cocaine concealed inside fake stones. The organised crime group was working with the stone industry to smuggle large quantities of drugs from Colombia into the port of Barcelona, to be later distributed throughout Europe. Belgian authorities dismantled a major illegal cigarette factory and […]
Turkish police have arrested twenty alleged smugglers, members of one of Europe’s largest human trafficking ring, as part of joint intelligence operations across Turkey. The organisation smuggled migrants from Afghanistan and northern Iraq to European countries, in exchange for large sums of money. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will provide support to countries of […]
CRIMJUST, a Cocaine Route Programme component, took part in the 28th Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna, Austria, on 21 May. It was a unique opportunity for CRIMJUST to present, together with the Integrated Illicit Crop Monitoring System Project of the UNODC Office in Colombia, the […]
The Cocaine Route Programme (CRP) has enlarged its mandate and perspectives in its fight against organised crime and drug trafficking with its newest component “COLIBRI: Monitoring and Controlling General Aviation along the Cocaine Route”. The COLIBRI Project aims at combating more effectively organised crime and the challenges raised by cocaine trafficking on the vector of […]
From 22 to 26 April 2019, Joint Airport Interdiction Task Forces from 8 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean benefitted from a regional online interactive training on intelligence and analysis for border control management at international airports, alongside other law enforcement officers. Overall, 120 persons from Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, the […]
The increase of cocaine production in Colombia has boosted the vulnerability of the Panamanian maritime transport industry. In 2018, the authorities of Colón arrested 330 people and seized 12 tonnes of cocaine, half of it in the port terminals. On the other side of the route, the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp have registered an […]
From 18 to 25 March, the Bolivian Vice Ministry of Social Defence and Controlled Substances and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched a cycle of training aimed at reinforcing capacities on asset forfeiture linked to drug trafficking. Asset forfeiture, or asset seizure, is a form of confiscation undertaken by a state […]
On April 1, the Ecuadorian authorities detected an aircraft reportedly carrying drugs and making an unauthorized landing in the province of Manabí. Although the plane managed to escape, nine alleged drug traffickers were arrested and US $ 200,000, four firearms and several vehicles were seized. Despite the efforts of the authorities, the “narco-flights” remain a […]
From 26 to 29 of March, the regional coordinator of SEACOP for the Caribbean attended the annual Caribbean Basin Coastal Surveillance and Maritime Security Summit (CABSEC) and South-American Security Summit (SAMSEC) combined forum on maritime security organised by the Barbados Defence Force. This year, the forum focused on promoting regional cooperation and countering transnational threats. On the second […]
