Category: Coordination centre

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Eurojust supports major operation against Albanian drug-trafficking ring in Italy: 66 arrests

Source: Eurojust

26 September 2024|

A large-scale cocaine-smuggling ring was dismantled by authorities in Italy, Albania, Poland and Switzerland, coordinated by Eurojust. During an action day, a total of 45 suspects were arrested, most of them in Italy. Prior to the action day, 21 suspects involved in the sale of cocaine in and around the city of Brescia were arrested. In total, 66 arrests were made. The Albanian-led organised crime group (OCG) had been selling cocaine from Latin America for at least four years, mainly in the north of Italy.

Eurojust set up a coordination centre this week to support and coordinate the actions of all authorities involved. During the investigations and the action day, for an estimated amount of EUR 4 million in cash was seized, as well as 360 kilograms of cocaine, luxury vehicles and watches, telecommunications equipment, arms and ammunition.

Investigations into the drug-smuggling network started in 2020 at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) of Brescia. The OCG used five warehouses and storage centres in and around Brescia to distribute the cocaine.

Credits: Guardia di Finanza di Brecia 

The suspects laundered their illegal profits via an extensive network of enterprises run by an Italian-Chinese organisation set up for this purpose, which supplied fake invoices with a total value of around EUR 375 million. The OCG members will be charged with the trafficking of illicit drugs, money laundering and investment fraud.

During this week’s action day, over 400 officers were deployed across Italy. To assist the authorities on the ground, Eurojust set up a coordination centre at its premises in The Hague and supported the execution of European Arrest Warrants and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance towards Albania and Switzerland. Europol facilitated the exchange of information between the involved countries and provided operational coordination as well as analytical support. On the action day, a Europol analyst with a mobile office was deployed to cross-check information on the spot in Italy.

The operations were carried out at the request of the PPO of Brescia via the following authorities:

  • Italy: PPO Brescia; Anti-Mafia District Directorate of the Guardia di Finanza – Provincial Command of Brescia; Central Investigation Service for Organised Crime (SCICO), Rome; International Police Cooperation Service Liaison Bureau, Tirana
  • Poland: PPO Warsaw; Central Police Bureau of Investigations
  • Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK); Albanian State Police
  • Switzerland: Office of Attorney-General; Federal Police (Fedpol)
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Eurojust supports large-scale anti-mafia operation leading to arrest and freezing of EUR 50 million

Source: Eurojust

To support other major mafia families, the OCG was involved in various criminal activities, including extortion, money laundering and the fraudulent transfer of valuables. An integrated network of financial professionals in Italy and around the world helped the OCG to invest its profits in companies in Italy, including a well-known hotel.

In 2016, the suspects moved their activities to Brazil to support another Italian criminal and launder more of their profits. The money arrived in Brazil through multiple transit bank accounts and with the support of their network of financial professionals in Italy.

One of the main members of the mafia family moved to Natal, Brazil, to start several companies using straw men and shell companies. Most of the companies were involved in large real estate and construction projects, such as a building site near the northeastern coast of Brazil. As these real estate projects were guaranteed to generate exceptionally high profits, it was easy for the OCG to hide their criminal gains. The total assets of the family are estimated at over EUR 500 million.

The Italian and Brazilian authorities have been investigating the activities of the OCG since 2022 through a joint investigation team (JIT), set up with the support of Eurojust. Their investigations uncovered the activities of the OCG in Switzerland. Through Eurojust, the Swiss authorities were involved in the JIT’s investigations.

On 13 August, a large coordinated operation took place in Italy, Switzerland and Brazil, with support from Eurojust. In Italy, 21 searches were carried out at the homes of the OCG members and the offices of their companies. A suspect was arrested in Brazil and financial assets worth EUR 50 million euros belonging to 17 individuals (all under investigation) were seized, as well as 12 companies involved in the real estate, construction and hospitality sectors. In Switzerland, the house of an Italian businessman was searched.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

  • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Palermo – District Antimafia Directorate; Guardia di Finanza – G.I.C.O. (Organized Crime Investigative Group) of Palermo
  • Brazil: Federal Prosecutor’s Office of Rio Grande do Norte
  • Switzerland: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; Federal Office of Police fedpol
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Eurojust supports searches into bribery and money laundering

Source: Eurojust

Investigations into corruption, trading and the influencing and bribery of foreign public officials have led to 13 searches across France, Spain and the Netherlands. A multinational company is being investigated for possible corruption and money laundering involving civilian and military equipment.

French authorities have started multiple investigations into the company. The first investigation, opened at the end of 2016, concerns the sale of defence material and the construction of a naval base, around which there are suspicions of corruption.

A second investigation, opened in June 2023, concerns the suspected corruption and influencing of foreign public officials linked to the sale of civilian and military equipment abroad.

As the company has subsidiaries in Spain and the Netherlands that needed to be searched, Eurojust helped connect the French authorities with the Spanish and Dutch authorities. Eurojust ensured swift cooperation between the authorities by organising a coordination centre. The coordination centre was set up for the execution of mutual legal assistance requests sent by France as well as to relay and solve any urgent issues arising amongst the three countries during an action day held on 26 June. The action day led to 15 searches at several of the subsidiaries in France, Spain and the Netherlands. The searches were undertaken by over 80 officers, including 65 in France, 8 in Spain and 12 in the Netherlands.

The authorities involved in the actions were as follows:

  • France: National Financial Public Prosecution Office (PPO); Central Office against corruption and tax fraud.
  • Netherlands: National Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation; Fiscal Information and Investigation Service
  • Spain: Anticorruption Public Prosecution Office (PPO); Central Court number 3 at the Audiencia Nacional; Judicial National Police Unit attached to the Anticorruption PPO
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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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Network of luxury car thieves dismantled with support of Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

A large-scale ring of luxury car thieves has been dismantled with the support of Eurojust and Europol. Using straw men and underprivileged people, the criminals hired or leased luxury vehicles, which they later registered in their own names through corrupt connections in official institutions.

The cars were resold outside the EU, including in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. In a series of recent coordinated actions in Spain, France, Germany, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine, 13 suspects were arrested for fraud, forgery and money laundering.

© – Ukrainian National Police

Through a coordination centre at Eurojust, over sixty places were also searched by national authorities. Several luxury vehicles, communication equipment and documents were seized, as well as over EUR 100 000 in cash.

The Spanish authorities launched their investigation in 2022 following reports of luxury cars going missing from legitimately operating car rental and lease companies in and around Malaga. These investigations revealed that dozens of vehicles were ultimately stolen across Europe by a network of linked criminals. They exploited around fifty vulnerable and underprivileged people by using their documents, such as driving licences and passports, to hire or lease luxury cars.

Through corrupt contacts in official institutions, they managed to register the hired vehicles on to their personal documents, so they could sell them in the European Union and beyond, including Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. Some of the stolen vehicles were transported in containers to conceal the cars.

Investigations were later also started in France, Poland and Ukraine, which revealed links between different criminal groups using the same modus operandi. In March of this year, with the support and funding of Eurojust, authorities in France, Spain and Ukraine set up a joint investigation team into the car thefts. Eurojust also organised two preparatory coordination meetings to prepare for the recent action day week and set up the coordination centre.

Europol assisted the operations against the criminal network by producing criminal intelligence packages. It also provided an operational coordination centre to support the actions at police level.

Operations on the ground were carried out at the request of and by the following authorities:

  • Spain: Investigative Court no. 1, Málaga; Public Prosecutor’s Office, Málaga; Spanish National Police
  • France: Judiciary Tribunal, Grasse; National Gendarmerie, Central Office against Roving Crime (OCDLI)
  • Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Offices Essen and Osnabrück; Police Departments of Essen and Osnabrück
  • Latvia: 3rd Unit International Cooperation Department State Police
  • Poland: Public Prosecutor’s Office, Warsaw
  • Ukraine: Prosecutor General’s Office; Main Investigation Department and Department of Strategic Investigations of National Police
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Major operation to take down dangerous malware systems

Source: Eurojust

In an unprecedented operation against aggressive and dangerous computer malware, authorities in the European Union and beyond have taken actions against droppers including IcedID, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee and Trickbot, which infiltrated computers via emails. The measures focused on disrupting criminal services through arresting suspects, the freezing of illegal proceeds, and taking down botnets, coordinated by Eurojust. The operation, which was carried out this week with support of Europol, is a follow up to the successful takedown of the Emotet malware system in 2021.

During actions carried out simultaneously in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Ukraine, the United States and United Kingdom, 4 suspects were arrested, who offered the malware as a professional blackmail service to other criminal actors. Some of the suspects were involved in operating Emotet in the past.

Via so called ‘sinkholing’ techniques or the use of tools to access the systems of operators behind the malware, investigators managed to block and take down the botnets. Malware droppers are types of malicious software which downloads viruses, ransomware or spyware on computers. They are generally installed via mails with infected links or Word and PDF attachments, such as shipping invoices or order forms, to get access to personal data and or bank accounts of computer users.

Mainly enterprises and national authorities and institutions were made victims of the series of malware systems which now have been taken down. Users are warned to be careful when opening links and attachments to mails and check the origin of mails.

The investigations, which have been ongoing since the takedown of Emotet, also focused on the running of that malware itself as their operators did create the new botnets mentioned. During the coordinated actions 16 places were searched.

In total over 100 servers were taken down or disrupted and over 2 000 domains are under control of law enforcement authorities.

Furthermore, investigations showed that one of the main suspects has earned at least EUR 69 million in cryptocurrency by renting out criminal infrastructure for the deployment of ransomware. The transactions are constantly being monitored and legal permission to seize these assets instantly through future actions has already been obtained.

Eurojust set up a coordination centre on its premises to manage simultaneous actions in all countries concerned. The Agency also assisted national authorities in the preparation and execution of European Arrest Warrants, European Investigation Orders and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance, and organized five coordination meetings.

The following national authorities were involved in the operations on the ground:

  • Germany: Prosecutor General’s Office Frankfurt am Main – Cyber Crime Center; Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt)
  • The Netherlands: National Prosecution Service; National Police
  • Austria: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Salzburg; Criminal Intelligence Service Austria (Bundeskriminalamt)
  • Denmark: National Special Crime Unit (NSK)
  • France: Prosecutor’s Office JUNALCO (National Jurisdiction against Organised Crime) Cybercrime Unit; Gendarmerie Nationale C3N
  • Ukraine: Prosecutor General’s Office; Main Investigation Department of National Police of Ukraine; Cyber Department of the Security Service of Ukraine
  • United Kingdom: National Crime Agency
  • United States: United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, The Defense Criminal Investigative Service
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Eurojust coordinates searches of offices of international car tyre manufacturer

Source: Eurojust

Eurojust has assisted the authorities in France, Belgium and Luxembourg with a series of coordinated searches of premises and offices of an international tyre manufacturer. These searches took place this week at the request of the judicial authorities in Besançon in France, in the context of investigations into involuntary manslaughter linked to technical failures that led to tyre explosions.

The investigations in France concern a series of accidents between 2011 and 2016, which allegedly led to the death of three lorry drivers. The investigations are looking into whether the tyre producer was aware of potential failures and whether the company had addressed the technical issues or not.

Eurojust was asked by the French authorities in 2023 to provide legal advice on the cross-border aspects of the investigations and to coordinate judicial actions in various EU Member States. For this purpose, the Agency has set up a coordination centre at its premises in The Hague to assist the authorities concerned with the investigations and simultaneous searches in France, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Investigations into the case are ongoing and the Agency stands ready to assist the authorities concerned with any future requests for cross-border judicial cooperation.

The operations that took place this week were carried out by:

  • France: Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) of Besançon; Gendarmerie Nationale – Criminal Investigation Department Amiens, National Cyber Support and Intervention Section, Criminal Investigation Department Versailles
  • Belgium: Investigative Judge at Court of First Instance of Antwerp, section Turnhout; PPO Antwerp, section Turnhout; Federal Judicial Police Antwerp
  • Luxembourg: Investigative Judge at District Court of Luxembourg; Grand Ducal Police – Police Judiciaire
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Over 100 searches and four arrests in Latvia, Germany, France, Italy and Malta against financial institution involved in money laundering

Source: Eurojust

National authorities in Latvia, Germany, France, Italy and Malta have carried out over 100 searches in a large-scale operation against a Russian-Eurasian criminal network and a Maltese-based financial institution allegedly involved in money-laundering services. Four suspects were detained during an action day supported by Eurojust and Europol. Potential suspects and witnesses were also interviewed in Latvia, Germany, Estonia and Malta.

During the actions, over 460 police officers were deployed to carry out the searches. Germany also deployed four officers to support the investigations and searches in Latvia and Malta. In addition to the arrests, various bank accounts and properties were seized.

The Maltese financial institution laundered at least EUR 4.5 million in proceedings from criminal activities since end of 2015. The total sum of laundered money could amount to tens of millions of euros. The financial institution and organised crime group (OCG) behind it offered money-laundering services via a network of fake enterprises and individuals who were registered directors, without performing any real business activities.

The OCG operated mainly from Riga and Berlin. Investigations were initiated in 2021 by the Latvian authorities after they noticed unusual money transfers from Latvia to the Maltese financial institution. Simultaneously, the German authorities had started investigations into suspicious money flows involving the same financial institution.

Eurojust supported today’s concerted action by setting up a coordination centre and establishing and funding a joint investigation team between the German and Latvian authorities. The Agency also organised five dedicated coordination meetings to prepare for the action day and assisted with the execution of European Investigation Orders in the countries involved.

On the action day, Europol deployed a money laundering expert to Latvia and set up a mobile office at Eurojust’s coordination centre to support the operation. Since December 2021, Europol has been supporting the investigation by providing operational and financial analysis and operational expertise. The Agency also supported the joint investigation team and provided financial support to the case.

Today’s operations were carried out by the following authorities:

  • Latvia: Rīga Northern Prosecution Office; Rīga Judicial Region Prosecution Office; 1st Unit of the Economic Crime Enforcement Department of the Central Criminal Police Department of the State Police
  • Germany: Public Prosecutor‘s Office Berlin (Staatsanwaltschaft Berlin); State Office of Criminal Investigations Berlin (Landeskriminalamt Berlin)
  • Estonia: Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Estonia and Estonian Police and Border Guard Board
  • France: Public Prosecutor’s Office and Investigative Judge – Judicial Court of Nice; National Police (DIPN) Alpes-Maritimes Division (Judicial Police Nice; Research and Intervention Brigade; Financial Brigade) – Border Police
  • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office Rome; Guardia di Finanza, Financial Police Unit Rome (Nucleo Polizia Economica e Finanziaria di Roma)
  • Malta: Financial Crimes Investigations Department and Asset Recovery Bureau of the Malta Police
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Crackdown on criminal network dealing with online investment fraud

Source: Eurojust

Judicial and law enforcement authorities in Germany, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Sweden have carried out a coordinated action against an organised crime group suspected of online trading fraud. The network defrauded numerous victims for several millions of euros in Germany and other European countries.

During a joint action day supported by Eurojust and Europol, four suspects were arrested and thirteen places were searched.

The suspects allegedly belong to a hierarchical criminal network with numerous members. The suspects ran several fraudulent online trading platforms from call centres and other locations in Cyprus. The perpetrators presented themselves as investment advisors and convinced victims to invest large amounts of money based on fake promises of profits.

The damage caused to German victims by the two main platforms is estimated at EUR 3.3 million and EUR 164 000, respectively. The total damage caused by the platforms is likely to be many times higher. Eurojust assisted the investigations by organising a coordination meeting and setting up a coordination centre to facilitate rapid cooperation between the judicial authorities during the joint action day. The Agency also assisted with the transmission and execution of six European Arrest Warrants and several European Investigation Orders.

Europol supported this case by hosting and financing several operational meetings as well as the action day. Furthermore, it provided analytical support and financial intelligence during the investigation. On the action day, a Europol specialist with a mobile office and a universal forensic extraction device (UFED) were deployed to Cyprus, while colleagues back in The Hague offered technical support for the virtual command post.

The following authorities took part in this investigation:

  • Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Göttingen; Centre for Cybercrime, Police Göttingen
  • Bulgaria: Sofia City Public Prosecutor’s Office; General Directorate Bulgarian National Police
  • Cyprus: International Police Cooperation Sub-Directorate – Police Cooperation Bureau Cyprus Police
  • Sweden: Swedish Police Authority