Category: Belgium

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Drug trafficking network active across Europe dismantled

Source: Eurojust

Drugs used for the group’s illegal activities were supplied by members in Spain. The drugs were then transported across Europe by couriers, who concealed the supplies in trucks that were in the possession of the organisation. Members based in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Ukraine, then sold the drugs on their local drug markets.

Drug trafficking remains one of the most serious security threats in Europe. Europol’s report on criminal networks shows that 50% of the most threatening criminal networks active in the EU are involved in drug trafficking, and 50% of all homicides in Europe are directly connected to drug trafficking. It is crucial that judicial authorities from different countries collaborate in their investigations, as drug trafficking frequently crosses borders. Eurojust has observed a twofold increase in cross-border drug trafficking cases since 2020, with over 2 462 cases supported in 2023.

The Italian authorities initiated investigations into the drug trafficking network in December 2021. The investigations revealed that the group, consisting of individals from various nationalities, was operating across Europe. To ensure that the group could not evade justice, Italian authorities used Eurojust’s facilities to facilitate investigations in other countries and execute house searches and seizures.

At a coordination centre at Eurojust, in the early morning of 2 July, authorities from Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Ukraine worked together with Europol and Interpol to arrest 13 suspects. During house searches, several electronic devices, drugs and money was found.

The operation was financially supported by the @ON network, which funded by the European Commission and led by the Italian Antimafia Directorate (DIA).

The actions were carried out by the following authorities:

  • Italy: Procure della Repubblica di L’Aquila e Teramo (Public Prosecution Offices of L’Aquila and Teramo); Carabinieri Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale (Special Operational Group) of L’Aquila
  • Belgium: PPO Mons; Federal Police of Mons
  • Germany: Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Düsseldorf (General Public Prosecutor`s Office Düsseldorf); Landeskriminalamt Nordrhein-Westfalen (State Criminal Police Office of North Rhine-Westphalia)
  • Spain: Juzgado central of Instruccion num 6 (Central Investigative Judge num. 6 at Audiencia Nacional); Fiscalia Antidroga at Audiencia Nacional (PP Antidrug at Audiencia Nacional); Group OCT Udyco Central of Policia Nacional (Group OCT Udyco Central of National Police)
  • Ukraine: Prosecutor General’s Office; Counter Narcotics Department of the National
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Crackdown on criminal network that stole 170 historical books worth EUR 2.5 million across Europe

Source: Eurojust

Eurojust and Europol have supported the competent authorities in Lithuania, France, Latvia, Poland, Switzerland and Georgia in an international operation against an organised crime group (OCG) that allegedly stole 170 books of high historical and cultural value across several European countries. The stolen books have an estimated value of EUR 2.5 million and were written by well-known Russian novelists such as Pushkin, Gogol and Lermontov.

Eurojust assisted the authorities in coordinating the actions and in setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT) into the case.

The perpetrators, of Georgian origin, are believed to have committed robberies in libraries located in France, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Switzerland.

The OCG used different modus operandi to steal the books. In some cases, the OCG members used fake identities when ordering books in the libraries, for example presenting themselves as researchers. While one OCG member pretended to consult with the library staff, thereby distracting security, another replaced the original valuable book with a copy.

In other cases, the perpetrators simply broke into the library and stole the books. Before committing the thefts, they visited libraries and checked out books of the same type as the ones stolen.

Eurojust has supported the case since November 2023, assisting the authorities involved in the coordination of their investigations and in the determination of legal strategies. Three coordination meetings were hosted by the Agency to bring together all judicial authorities involved, in order to facilitate their judicial cooperation, and to prepare for the joint action. The Agency also facilitated the setting up of a JIT between France, Lithuania, Poland, Georgia and Switzerland in March 2024. Europol was also a participant in the JIT.

During the action day, a coordination centre was set up at Eurojust connecting simultaneously the different teams in the field in the countries where operations were taking place. The coordination centre enabled rapid cooperation and ensured that evidence and information collected were swiftly exchanged between all national authorities involved.

The coordinated operations led to the arrest of four suspects in Georgia. A total of 27 locations were searched in Georgia and Latvia. One stolen book was recovered and many other books, which have to be examined further, were also seized. Ten witnesses were interviewed and over a hundred police officers and prosecutors were involved in the operation.

With reports of rare and historical books being stolen across Europe, Europol facilitated the information exchange between the affected countries and helped to identify the main suspects. Europol’s analysis during this case helped to create links, identify leads and even uncover a theft that had not yet been discovered. Before supporting the action day, Europol held two operational meetings in its headquarters.

The following authorities took part in this investigation:

  • Estonia: Estonian Prosecutor´s Office; Police and Border Guard Board
  • France: Court of Paris, OCBC (Central Office against Cultural Goods Trafficking)
  • Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Munich I, Public Prosecutor’s Office Berlin, Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA, Division 622), Berlin State Criminal Police Office
  • Latvia: International cooperation Division of the Prosecutor General’s Office; International Cooperation Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police; Criminal police bureau of the Riga Regional Department of the State Police
  • Lithuania: Vilnius Regional PPO, Vilnius County Police Headquarters
  • Poland: Circuit Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw
  • Switzerland: Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic and Canton of Geneva; Cantonal police of the Republic and Canton of Geneva
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Eight arrested in international operation against human trafficking supported by Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

With the support of Eurojust and Europol, authorities in Belgium and Hungary have taken action against an organised crime group involved in the trafficking of women for sexual exploitation. During a joint action, eight suspects were arrested in both countries. Several victims have been identified and brought to safety. Eurojust assisted the authorities in setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT) into the case.

During an international operation carried out on 20 February, eight suspects were arrested: six in Belgium and two in Hungary. The police seized 15 luxury vehicles, around EUR 34,000 in cash and EUR 9,500 in gold and silver during the searches in Belgium. In Hungary, a luxury vehicle, EUR 6,000 in cash and four wristwatches were seized.

The case was opened by Eurojust in February 2023 at the request of the Belgian authorities. A JIT was set up between the Belgian and Hungarian authorities with the support of Eurojust in May 2023. One coordination meeting was hosted by the Agency to facilitate judicial cooperation.

Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided support during the investigation. Europol also provided operational analysis, operational intelligence and coordinated operational activities. During the action day, Europol deployed two Europol experts to Belgium and one to Hungary to provide analytical and technical support to the national authorities.

The following authorities took part in this investigation:

  • Belgium: Prosecution Office of West-Flanders; Investigating judge West-Flanders, section Bruges; Local police Ostend
  • Hungary: Metropolitan Public Prosecutor’s Office; Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation
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Tackling major organised drug crime top priority for Belgian EU Presidency

Source: Eurojust

Commenting on the priorities of the Belgian EU Presidency, Ms Hilde Vandevoorde, National Member for Belgium at Eurojust, said: ‘The Belgian Presidency has put forward different priorities that are of direct importance in the daily work of the judicial practitioners. Tackling large-scale drug-related organised crime groups using logistic hubs and, more specifically, large ports is the top priority. As this crime type always has a major cross-border aspect, the role of Eurojust is essential in helping EU Member States and third countries to cooperate.’

Belgium currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU until 30 June 2024. With regard to major drug-related cross-border crime, during the Belgian Presidency Eurojust will work closely with its judicial partners in third countries, from which large-scale illicit exports of drugs take place. For this purpose, the Agency can build on a network of over 70 Contact Points worldwide and its counterparts in Latin America.

These include, in particular, the Association of Ibero-Amerian Public Prosecutors (AIAMP) and the Ibero-American Network of International Legal Cooperation (IberRED). In view of extending cross-border judicial cooperation, the European Commission is negotiating international agreements with Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, which will further enable collaboration via Eurojust.

In its priorities for judicial cooperation during its Presidency, Belgium will also underline the role of small-scale detention as an alternative to prisons. Across Belgium, around 700 spaces will be created in small-scale detention for prisoners who have received up to three years of imprisonment as a sentence.

For groups of 20 to 60 offenders per centre, a programme has been set up to work on their reintegration and abilities to live independently. For the Belgian authorities, the detention houses play a major role in preventing prisoners from committing new offences.

During the Presidency, the importance of victims’ rights will also be highlighted. Victims’ rights play an essential cross-cutting role in the judicial process in Belgium, and to promote the international dimension a dedicated symposium will be held at Eurojust in April this year.

An estimated 15 % of European citizens fall victim to crime every year, with Eurojust also focusing specifically on the importance of their interests in judicial proceedings. For more information on Eurojust and victims’ rights, please consult the special webpage.

The Belgian Presidency will also concentrate on pending legal initiatives, which are currently still being discussed with the European Parliament, particularly those concerning trafficking in human beings, violence against women and the transfer of proceedings.

In line with a an established tradition at Eurojust for every Member State holding the Presidency of the Council, an exhibition of artwork is organised. For the first six months of 2024, Belgian sculptor Damien Moreau displays a large collection of his statues at the Agency, some of which have been specifically created in relation to the Presidency.