Category: Eurojust

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Support to Dutch action against violation of export sanctions to Russia: three arrests

Source: Eurojust

Eurojust and Europol have supported a coordinated action of the Dutch, German, Latvian, Lithuanian and Canadian authorities against the alleged violation of export sanctions to Russia. During a joint action day, three suspects were arrested and 14 places searched in view of investigations into the illegal export of technological and laboratory equipment, which could be used for military purposes. Such exports are illegal due to the EU-wide sanctions, which were imposed after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

The arrested persons are suspected of being part of an international smuggling network. The physical and digital administration of a Dutch-registered enterprise has been seized, in addition to the enterprise’s bank account and communication tools.

Investigations into the case were initiated at the end of 2023 by the Dutch authorities and led to the uncovering of a web of enterprises, which were used to circumvent the ban on exports to Russia. These enterprises were centred around a Dutch-registered trading company, which was set up in 2017 for the import, export and sales of electro-technical and laboratory equipment, among other goods.

Two of the suspects were administrators of the main trading company. The third suspect is an employee of an external contractor, who is alleged to have been aware of the violation of the export ban. The trading company in question is now run by an administrator in Russia, who is also the sole shareholder.

Eurojust enabled the cross-border judicial cooperation and organised a coordination meeting to prepare for the joint actions, at request of the Dutch authorities. It also set up a coordination centre during the action day, which was held on 9 January.

Europol has been supporting the investigation by providing analytical support, as well as conducting cross-checks on the gathered data.

The actions were carried out at the request of and were supported by the following authorities:

  • The Netherlands: National Prosecution Office for Serious Fraud, Environmental Crime and Asset Confiscation (Functioneel Parket); Investigation Service for Financial and Tax Crime (Fiscale Inlichtingen- en Opsporingsdienst, FIOD)
  • Germany: Public Prosecutor`s Offices of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg and Krefeld; Customs Investigation Service (ZFD) with offices in Berlin, Essen and Hamburg
  • Latvia: Prosecutor General’s Office; State Security Service
  • Lithuania: Vilnius Regional Public Prosecutor’s Office, Customs Criminal Service
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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
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Eurojust and Panama sign Working Arrangement to step up cooperation against organised crime

Source: Eurojust

Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran said: With Panama’s rich tradition as a bridge maker between continents in mind, I am delighted to sign into effect the Working Arrangement that will bring closer the European and Panamanian communities of prosecutors and judges. We share a similar criminal threat picture on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the resolve to intensify our joint judicial response. Eurojust therefore looks forward to engaging with colleagues in Panama; for instance, in the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking.

Mr Javier E. Caraballo Salazar, Attorney General of Panama, stated: The effective fight against organised crime requires an increase in international cooperation, shared experiences, the development of joint investigations, the exchange of information and best practices, as well as direct, frank and trustworthy communication between justice officials. Eurojust is an international source of reference for this close collaboration in the fight against serious cross-border organised crime, which is why working jointly with Eurojust to disband criminal groups with ties to Panama and Europe is to vital to the Office of the Attorney General of Panama.

During his visit to Eurojust, Mr Caraballo Salazar was accompanied by H.E. Elizabeth Ward Neiman, Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in The Hague.

The visit also included bilateral meetings with several Desks at Eurojust to discuss operational cooperation in various crime areas.

As the main link between North and South America, Panama remains a very important partner in the fight against serious cross-border crime, with a focus on areas such as money laundering, trafficking of human beings and drug trafficking. The Working Arrangement Agreement, which enters into force today, includes arrangements for the exchange of strategic information and communication with the Contact Point, as well as data protection provisions.

In August 2022, Eurojust signed a Working Arrangement with the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors. The purpose of this working arrangement is to encourage and develop cooperation between the parties in the fight against serious crime affecting the European Union and Latin America, particularly transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, cybercrime and terrorism.

Eurojust cooperation with third countries

Working Arrangements are only one of the tools of Eurojust’s international cooperation.

Eurojust is actively connected with over 70 jurisdictions worldwide through its Contact Point network. These connections enable prosecutors from Member States to establish quick contact and liaise with their counterparts in a third country when a crime extends beyond the European Union’s borders.

Agreements on cooperation enable Eurojust to consolidate its partnerships with third countries and international organisations, bringing them and Member States closer together in the fight against serious cross-border crime.

An overview of Eurojust’s cooperation with third countries can be found here.

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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.

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Conclusion of Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Source: Eurojust

During its Presidency, Spain has worked to strengthen the EU and continue to promote institutional and legislative development to meet the expectations of European citizens. Spain established four priorities for its term, including the reindustrialisation of the EU, the green transition, social and economic justice, and strengthening European unity.

The challenges faced by the Spanish Presidency have been addressed, taking into account the proximity of the European elections and the need to close certain crucial dossiers. These include completing legislative work on Directives on key topics such as the environment, asset recovery and confiscation, and violations of EU restrictive measures. In addition, the Council reached a general approach on the proposal on transfer of proceedings, hopefully paving the way for a successful conclusion of the legislative work on this key topic.

Eurojust and the Spanish authorities have strengthened their cooperation during the Presidency. For example, on 5-6 October, the Spanish authorities, together with Eurojust and the Swedish authorities – which held the previous Presidency of the Council – organised the 17th Consultative Forum of Prosecutors General and Directors of Public Prosecutions of EU Member States. The main topic discussed during this meeting was how to enhance the role of judicial authorities in joint operations against serious organised crime through the EMPACT platform. In view of the revision of the current EU Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law, the Prosecutors General also discussed ways to improve actions to fight environmental crime during the Consultative Forum.

Following the tradition of other Member States holding the Presidency, Spain organised an exhibition of national art at Eurojust. The Spanish artist Bea Sarrias painted a portrait of Eurojust’s headquarters as part of a live performance carried out in the hall of the building between 3 and 7 July. The project, called ‘European Light’, aimed to capture the diverse and changing light of Europe as a metaphor for the need to work together within the EU.

More information about the artist, her exhibition at Eurojust and the priorities of the Spanish Presidency can be found in the video below.

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Historic religious statue returns to Italy with support of Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

The historic Italian statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which holds great religious importance, has been returned to Italy from the Netherlands with judicial support from Eurojust. The religious artefact was stolen in 2014 from a church in Pastena on the Amalfi Coast and later bought by a Dutch collector. The Agency assisted the Italian authorities with the rapid execution of a European Investigation Order (EIO) to arrange for its return to the Pastena parish.

The statue, which is around 700 years old, was stolen from the church in August 2014 and offered for sale via an Italian antique dealer. It was bought in good faith by a Dutch collector who intended to resell it and posted pictures on social media. These were spotted by the parish priest of Pastena, who contacted the Italian authorities. 

An investigation was launched by the special Cultural Heritage Unit of the Italian Carabinieri and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Salerno, which later contacted Eurojust to initiate the process of retrieving and returning the artefact to the Amalfi Coast. The Agency not only assisted with the execution of the EIO but also provided further cross-border judicial support to the authorities in Italy and the Netherlands. The transfer of the statue took place in recent days. 

The operations were carried out at the request and with the support of:

  • Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Salerno; Cultural Heritage Unit of the Carabinieri
  • The Netherlands: Centre for International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, East Netherlands; Team for Legal Assistance of the National Police, East Netherlands