Category: Eurojust

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Criminals recruiting and exploiting workers arrested

Source: Eurojust

The network started its illegal activities in 2013. Its targets were recruited from Romania to work in a paper factory in Hungary. They were promised a job with eight-hour workdays for five to six days a week a salary paid in Hungarian forints and accommodation and meals.

After arriving in Hungary, the actual working conditions were much worse than promised. The victims’ documents were confiscated, depriving them of their freedom of movement. The criminals placed the victims under constant surveillance, took away their phones and withheld their salaries. Work in the paper factory was carried out in poor conditions in an isolated location, with victims working between 12 and 24 hours a day. Several of the victims were also forced to do domestic work at the criminals’ properties in Budapest. Seeking help or returning to Romania was made impossible for them.

The victims were primarily recruited from the foster care system, especially people with no family support and limited financial resources. This lack of support reduced the likelihood that family members could influence them to abandon their work in Hungary. The criminals took advantage of their victims’ plight to convince them to work in the paper factory, using them only to make significant illegal profits for themselves.

Investigations were launched by the Hungarian and Romanian authorities to take down the trafficking operation. Due to the international scale of the operation, a joint investigation team (JIT) was set up at Eurojust. The JIT enabled the authorities to share information and carry out joint operations against the network.

An operation to take down the criminal network by the Hungarian and Romanian authorities coordinated by Eurojust took place on 12 November. The authorities worked together in Hungary to identify 20 possible victims of human trafficking and seize over EUR 100 000, jewelry, cars, documents, pistols and other evidence. Eight suspects were arrested, all members of the human trafficking ring, and several properties were placed under sequestration.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

  • Hungary: Chief Prosecution Office of the Capital in Budapest; National Bureau of Investigation, Transnational Crime Department, Trafficking in Human Beings Unit
  • Romania: Prosecution Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – Covasna Territorial Office; Romanian Police – Brașov Organized Crime Brigade; Covasna County Police Inspectorate; Covasna County Gendarme Inspectorat
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Unlawful attacks under international law in the spotlight at 36th Meeting of the Genocide Network

Source: Eurojust

Ongoing conflicts and evolving forms of warfare have increasingly highlighted the impact of military operations on civilian populations and infrastructure. During the two-day event, participants discussed the complexities of international humanitarian law and its application in modern conflicts, in particular in relation to war crimes investigations and prosecutions.

The Genocide Network also used the occasion to launch a new, searchable database of selected judicial decisions on core international crimes, translated into English. The database gathers key decisions from EU Member States focused on war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, as well as other concurrent crimes such as terrorism related offences.

Prior to launching the database, the Genocide Network periodically published a compendium of translated national jurisprudence on core international crimes. These judgments will now be more easily accessible for practitioners.

The biannual meetings of the Genocide Network provide opportunities for participants to come together to exchange expertise and best practices with key stakeholders. Closed sessions also support the exchange of information on core international crimes cases and legal challenges between the Network’s national contact points and their counterparts from observer states.

The Genocide Network was established in 2011 and is hosted at Eurojust. Together, Eurojust and the Network enable close cooperation and information exchange between national authorities. Due to the often complex nature of cross-border investigations, the Agency’s support through judicial tools such as coordination meetings and coordination centres is a key success factor in many cases.

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Supplier of small boats to human smugglers arrested

Source: Eurojust

During an international action, a major supplier of small boats to human smugglers was arrested in the Netherlands. Dutch, Belgian and UK authorities worked together with Eurojust and Europol to arrest the individual who is suspected of supplying engines and boats to smugglers.

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after arriving at the airport of Amsterdam. He will be extradited by Dutch authorities to Belgium to face charges of smuggling of human beings in the context of the activities of a criminal organisation. He is suspected of running an operation that supplied small boats and engines to human smugglers who were active in Belgium and northern France. The 44-year-old Turkish national was shipping his supplies from Türkiye and storing them in Europe before transporting them to northern France for the smugglers.

Criminal networks often use the Netherlands as a hub for preparing the smuggling of humans. From there, the boats and equipment are transferred to France or Belgium, where smugglers put people on boats to cross the English Channel to the UK. The boats used are highly dangerous and unfit for open water, ultimately resulting in casualties. More than 50 people have died attempting to make the crossing so far in 2024.

The arrest is the result of a joint investigation team (JIT) set up at Eurojust between Belgian and UK authorities. By setting up a JIT, authorities were able to work closely together, exchange evidence and carry out joint actions. The JIT was set up following investigations conducted under the framework of a Europol Operation Task Force set up to combat migrant smuggling with small boats across the English Channel. Dutch authorities assisted with the arrest after it became clear he was travelling from Türkiye to the Netherlands and continue to support the work of the JIT where needed.

Following his arrest, the suspect will now be extradited to Belgium where he will face charges of smuggling of human beings in the context of the activities of a criminal organisation.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

  • Belgium: Investigative judge of West Flanders; PPO West Flanders; Federal judicial police West Flanders
  • Netherlands: Public Prosecution Service (national office); Royal Netherlands Marechaussee
  • United Kingdom: National Crime Agency; Crown Prosecution Service
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Mr Michael Schmid elected new President of Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

Commenting on his election as President by his fellow National Members, Mr Schmid stated: I am obviously delighted by the election and would like to thank my colleagues for giving me their confidence. As we look ahead, my goal is to further strengthen Eurojust’s support for the judicial authorities across Europe. In recent years, criminal proceedings have grown increasingly complex, driven by the rise of digitalisation, increasing links to non-European countries, and a more interconnected web of criminal networks. It is only together that we will be able to effectively tackle these challenges and care for a more secure Europe.

The President of Eurojust represents the Agency and oversees the meetings of the National Members who meet regularly in the College, which elected Mr Schmid today. The President also directs and monitors Eurojust’s activities and management, in close cooperation with Administrative Director Mr Vincent Jamin. Mr Schmid will also cooperate closely with the two Vice-Presidents of Eurojust, Mr Boštjan Škrlec and Ms Margarita Šniutytė-Daugėlienė.

Eurojust has been a thread throughout the career of Mr Schmid. In 2014, he came to the Agency as a trainee via the European Judicial Trainee Network (EJTN) and later worked as a Seconded National Expert and assistant to the National Member. In 2017, Mr Schmid became Deputy National Member, in which capacity he held the role of Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Team.

In April 2021, the new Eurojust President took up the role of Justice Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union in Brussels. In this role, he participated in numerous Council negotiations on criminal and procedural law, as well as the Digital Services Act. In April 2022, he returned to Eurojust as National Member for Austria. Recently, he chaired the Advisory Group on Organisational Development, a panel which designed the priorities and internal procedures of the Agency.

Mr Schmid graduated in law from the University of Vienna in 2007, joining the Austrian judiciary the same year. After completing the national training programme in 2011, he became a prosecutor in Vienna, dealing with general criminal cases and later economic crimes. During his first period at Eurojust, Mr Schmid undertook a Master’s programme in criminal justice at Leiden University in the Netherlands, graduating cum laude in 2021.

The new Eurojust President in the past served as a guest lecturer at numerous universities in Austria and abroad and was a teacher for practitioners at the Austrian Ministry of Justice, EJTN, the European Legal Academy (ERA) in Trier (Germany) and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) in Budapest. Mr Schmid speaks German, English, Dutch and French.

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International operation leads to seizure of 2 000 fake works of art with potential losses of EUR 200 million

Source: Eurojust

The fake art recovered by the authorities included forged works by famous artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Francis Bacon, Wassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Salvador Dalí. Investigations into the fake works revealed a network of forgers in Spain, France and Belgium. Once the fake works of art were produced, the network would work with several complicit auction houses in Italy to sell the pieces. To ensure the credibility of the auctions, exhibitions were organised throughout Italy and a catalogue of the art was published. Catching the forgers made it possible to avoid the works being auctioned off at prices close to the original works by the real artists.

The investigation into the network began in March 2023, when Italian authorities found around 200 fake works of art during a search order against an entrepreneur. This led investigators to monitor e-commerce platforms of auction houses to find similar works for sale and the sellers of these pieces. The investigation identified two forgers and two painting workshops that were used to produce the fake works of art.

As the investigation uncovered a European forgery network, cross-border judicial cooperation was initiated at Eurojust. Eurojust ensured that three European Investigation Orders were issued against six suspects in Spain, France and Belgium. The searches led to the discovery of forgery workshops and the seizure of 1 000 fake works of art and more than 500 forged certificates and stamps of authenticity.

The investigation led to charges against 38 suspects in the forgery network for conspiracy to forge and deal in contemporary art. Experts from the Italian authorities confirmed that the works of art were not originals and estimated the economic damage at approximately EUR 200 million if the pieces had been auctioned. By preventing these works from reaching the market, the authorities averted a major disruption to the art auction industry.

In agreement with the authorities involved and with the support of Eurojust, all the fake works of art and items seized in Spain, France and Belgium have been handed over to the Italian authorities for further analysis.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

  • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Pisa, Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC) – Unit of Rome
  • Belgium: Investigative Judge of the Court of Walloon Brabant: Local Police of La Mazerine
  • France: Judicial Court Paris; Central Office for Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property (OCBC)
  • Spain: Juzgado Instruccion 1 of Olot (Girona); Guardia Civil
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Eurojust hosts meetings on surrender and extradition procedures with UK and US partners

Source: Eurojust

The first meeting, which took place from 6-7 November, covered the topic of surrender between EU Member States and the United Kingdom. Partners from the United Kingdom presented an introduction to the UK legal system concerning surrender. This included identifying common legal challenges and sharing best practices on how to overcome them. The meeting included representatives from 29 countries.

From 7-8 November, a second meeting was hosted on extradition, organized with partners from the United States. During this meeting, the U.S. delegation presented best practices on extradition procedures and faciliated a drafting exercise of an extradition request. Representatives from 26 Member States and 7 third countries attended this meeting.

Both meetings also included participation from members of the European Judicial Network and European Commission. The meetings aimed to increase cooperation and understanding between the EU and its key partners, the UK and the US, on judicial matters. By sharing knowledge and expertise, practitioners will be able to better navigate the complexities of these procedures, ultimately leading to more effective and efficient cooperation.

The UK delegation was led by representatives from:

  • Crown Prosecution Service – Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate
  • Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service – International Co-operation Unit
  • Public Prosecution Service – High Court and International Section
  • Crown Solicitor’s Office

The US delegation was led by representatives from:

  • U.S. Department of State, Office of the Legal Adviser
  • U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of International Affairs
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Support to German-Cypriot operation against fake investment platforms robbing victims of EUR 10 million

Source: Eurojust

German and Cypriot authorities have launched a coordinated operation to block 13 fake investment platforms, with support from Eurojust and Europol. During a joint action day in Cyprus and Germany, four suspects were arrested for defrauding victims of millions of euros and for money laundering. The fraud was run from a call centre based in Cyprus and robbed victims of at least EUR 10 million.

The alleged perpetrators used a well-known modus operandi: cybertrading. This method involves promising high profits and drawing customers through professionally designed, credible websites and social media. They also operated a call centre where members of the organised crime group behind the fraudulent sites posted as professional trading experts.

Approximately 170 German investors were lured into making online transfers, without receiving any real returns on their investments. Instead, they were shown fake statistics indicating that they had made substantial profits. The victims of the fraudulent online system subsequently lost all their money. Initial estimates put the total loss at no less than EUR 10 million.

The investigation was opened in the beginning of 2024 by the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime, which contacted Eurojust in April. Eurojust helped to organise a meeting in Cyprus between the German and Cypriot authorities to exchange information and establish direct links.

The Agency also assisted in the execution of European Investigation Orders and provided background information and research documents. Europol supported the investigation by deploying an expert to Cyprus, during the coordinated action on 4 November. During the coordinated action in Germany and Cyprus, authorities searched 13 locations, arrested 4 suspects, and seized cash, luxury watches and 2 vehicles.

The following authorities initiated and supported the coordinated actions on the ground:

  • Germany: General Public Prosecutor’s Office Bamberg – Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime; Criminal Police Inspectorate Amberg
  • Cyprus: Cyprus Police
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Crackdown on cocaine trafficking from South America in Italy and Albania: 29 arrests

Source: Eurojust

An international operation coordinated by Eurojust and Europol has disrupted the trafficking of large quantities of cocaine from South America to various Italian seaports. In total, 29 suspects belonging to an Albanian-led criminal network were arrested in Italy and Albania. Simultaneously, locations were searched in France, Romania, and Spain were searched to gather information and potential evidence. The successful crackdown is the result of a long-term joint investigation teams (JITs), supported and financed by Eurojust.

The organised crime group (OCG) was active in the wholesale distribution of drugs on the Italian market. The illicit drugs were hidden in containers with exotic fruits on vessels arriving in European ports from South America. On arrival, special recovery teams would remove the drugs from the containers and make them available to other criminal groups. The value of the drugs seized during the operation is estimated at EUR 70 million.

Investigations into the Albanian criminal network began in 2021 on the initiative of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Florence in Italy. In the same year a JIT was set up between the Italian and Albanian authorities. The investigation was supported by intercepted communications between criminal organisations, which used the encrypted SkyECC mobile communication tool.

At the request of the Italian authorities, Eurojust organised several coordination meetings between all the investigating bodies to prepare for the international action against the OCG. A coordination centre was set up at Eurojust’s premises in The Hague, to support ongoing searches and arrests in the five countries involved. Eurojust also assisted with the execution of European Investigation Orders in France, Romania and Spain and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance to Albania. The arrest warrants were disseminated worldwide through INTERPOL, thanks to the Italian 3rd division of Central Service for International Police Cooperation.

The actions, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol, resulted in the seizure of more than two tonnes of cocaine, 45 kg of hashish, 20 kg of marijuana and 29 arrests, 27 in Italy and two in Albania.

The following authorities initiated and carried out the operations on the ground:

  • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Florence; Guardia di Finanza Pisa Economic Financial Unit; Guardia di Finanza Central Service against organised crime; Guardia di Finanza Naval Station Livorno; Italian Central Directorate for Anti-Drug Services; the Office of Security Experts at the Italian Embassy in Tirana; 3rd division of the Central Service for International Police Cooperation
  • Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organised Crime(SPAK); Albanian State Police
  • France: Judicial Court of Lyon – Interregional Specialised Jurisdiction – Organised Crime section; OFAST (National Office against Drug trafficking) National Police – Lyon
  • Spain: Public Prosecutor Specialised Unit in International Cooperation of Tarragona; Investigative Court num. 6 of Tarragona; Group 11 of UDYCO of Policia Nacional
  • Romania: Directorate for Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism – Covasna Local Bureau; Covasna Organized Crime Fighting Police Service.
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Asset recovery in focus at 4th EuroMed Justice Network meeting

Source: Eurojust

31 October 2024|

On 29-30 October, the 4th EuroMed Justice Network (EMJNet) meeting was held at the Ministry of Justice of Spain in Madrid.

Forty-five criminal justice representatives from eight South Partner Countries (SPCs) and nine European Union Member States gathered to share knowledge and exchange best practices on international judicial cooperation related to the different stages of asset recovery. The meeting focused on asset tracing; asset freezing; asset confiscation and asset management and disposal (reverted to the relevant state, shared among the respective states or returned to the victim).

Representatives from UNICRI and the leader of the Economic Crimes Team at Eurojust also presented international and European recommendations and standards, best practises and challenges on these topics.

Participants also discussed their national asset tracking systems and presented relevant cross border cases.

Over both days, the objectives of EMJNet were reintroduced by the EMJ PMT . EMJNet, the cross-Mediterranean network of criminal justice practitioners aims to strengthen the contacts and the operational cooperation between criminal justice authorities from SPCs and EU Member States. EMJNet acts as the operational network of the EMJ Project and is composed of contact points who are active intermediaries facilitating judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

The participants also benefited from the presentation of Spain’s Asset Management Office by its two Deputy Directors.

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Malware targeting millions of people taken down by international coalition

Source: Eurojust

A global operation, supported by Eurojust, has led to the takedown of servers of infostealers, a type of malware used to steal personal data and conduct cybercrimes worldwide. The infostealers, RedLine and META, taken down today targeted millions of victims worldwide, making it one of the largest malware platforms globally. An international coalition of authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Australia shut down three servers in the Netherlands, seized two domains, unsealed charges in the United States and took two people into custody in Belgium.

RedLine and Meta were able to steal personal data from infected devices. The data included saved usernames and passwords, and automatically saved form data, such as addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, cryptocurrency wallets, and cookies. After retrieving the personal data, the infostealers sold the information to other criminals through criminal market places. The criminals who purchased the personal data used it to steal money, cryptocurrency and to carry out follow-on hacking activities.

Investigations into RedLine and Meta started after victims came forward and a security company notified authorities about possible servers in the Netherlands linked to the software. Authorities discovered that over 1 200 servers in dozens of countries were running the malware. To take down the transnational malware, Eurojust coordinated cooperation between authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, United Kingdom and Australia. Through Eurojust, authorities were able to quickly exchange information and coordinate actions to take down the infostealers.

The take down of the infostealers took place on 28 October during a worldwide operation. Three servers were taken down in the Netherlands, two domains were seized, charges were unsealed in the United States and two people were taken into custody in Belgium. After the authorities obtained the data and took down the servers, a message was sent to the alleged perpetrators, including a video. The video sends a strong message to the criminals, showing that the international coalition of authorities was able to obtain crucial data on their network and will shut down their criminal activities. After the message was sent, Belgian authorities took down several Redline and Meta communication channels.

The authorities also retrieved a database of clients from RedLine and Meta. Investigations will now continue into the criminals using the stolen data.

For people concerned they may have fallen victim to RedLine and Meta, a private security company has launched an online tool to allow people to check if their data was stolen. The tool helps potential victims on the steps they need to take if their data has been stolen.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

  • The Netherlands: National Police, Team Cybercrime Limburg, Public Prosecution Service
  • United States: Federal Bureau of Investigation; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Army Criminal Investigation Division
  • Belgium: Federal Prosecutor’s Office; Federal Police
  • Portugal: Polícia Judiciária
  • United Kingdom: National Crime Agency
  • Australia: Australian Federal Police