Category: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

During an action day on 2 February, actions took place simultaneously in North Macedonia and Serbia. Authorities searched multiple locations and found machines used to make moulds and stamps for counterfeit money, hot rollers, presses, a counterfeit banknote detector and holograms. Over 180 000 counterfeit euro banknotes were seized during searches in Serbia, and over 500 000 in North Macedonia.

Authorities also seized cash in different currencies, phones and laptops. Evidence collected during the searches will be further analysed to serve the ongoing investigations. Twelve members of the forgers group were arrested in North Macedonia and Serbia.

The JIT between North Macedonian and Serbian authorities is supported by Eurojust through the Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project. This project strengthens cooperation within the Western Balkans and between the region and the European Union, using modern tools and methods to combat organised crime and terrorism. The JIT allowed the authorities to work together efficiently and effective, exchanging information in real time. The Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project purchased equipment for the North Macedonian and Serbian authorities, which was instrumental in executing the operation.

Europol played a key role in the operation, supporting law enforcement with expertise on counterfeit banknotes, analytical and financial assistance, and coordination of operational activities. Europol’s analysis identified the country where the counterfeit banknotes were distributed. On the action day, Europol deployed staff to North Macedonia and Serbia to provide technical support and cross-check operational data against Europol’s databases and the European Central Bank’s systems.

The following authorities carried out the operations:

North Macedonia: Basic Public Prosecution Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption; Investigative Centre from the Prosecution Office and Ministry of Interior

Serbia: Public Prosecutor’s Office for organized crime, Service for combating organized Crime, Department for combating counterfeiting of money

Source: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

The investigation into the smuggling group started in May 2020, when three containers arrived in Belgium filled with undeclared cigarettes instead of the supposed construction material destined for Germany. The group tried to avoid suspicion by filling one of the three containers with the declared goods and presenting it correctly to customs. The building materials would then be loaded into the second and third containers to get them through customs. The smuggling did not go unnoticed as customs officers discovered that the containers were filled with undeclared cigarettes.

With the support of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Belgian and German customs launched a cross-border investigation into the criminal group. They discovered that the same method had been used to smuggle over 150 containers filled with cigarettes into the EU. During the investigation, customs authorities also learned that the group was now also unloading cigarettes at warehouses in the Netherlands. The Dutch customs authorities joined the international investigation to take down the smuggling operation.

The cigarettes were manufactured in Türkiye and Iran, then exported to ports worldwide, reloaded and brought into EU ports using forged sea freight documents. The criminal group is suspected of smuggling 150 containers into the EU. The fiscal loss of the smuggling scheme is estimated at EUR 550 million.

The four-year long investigation culminated in an action day coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. Authorities executed arrest warrants in three countries, leading to two arrests in Belgium, one in the Netherlands and seven in Germany. Seventeen locations and one vehicle were searched where authorities seized multiple phones laptops and paper documents.

The following authorities carried out the operations:

• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Bielefeld; Customs Investigation Office Hanover
• Belgium: Public Prosecution Office Namur; Public Prosecution Office Charleroi; Federal Police Namur; Federal Police Charleroi; Belgian Customs Authorities
• The Netherlands: National Public Prosecutors Office for Economic and Environmental Crimes; Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service
• European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

Source: Eurojust

Investigations into the group began in 2023 when border police in Spain noticed suspicious trips from their airports transporting large sums of money. The trips to Cyprus by members of the criminal group were used to deliver criminal profits, which were then laundered. Authorities stopped the criminals from travelling and seized more than EUR 1.8 million.

The authorities discovered that the group was running a sophisticated money laundering service for other criminal organisations. The group acted as a financial service to transfer criminal profits internationally. Cryptocurrencies were used to move cash profits between criminal organisations. To dispose of the cash profits, money was transported on commercial flights, mainly to Cyprus, and by public transport to neighbouring countries of Spain. The group was able to carry out four to six money laundering transactions per week. 

Running this financial service required a professionally structured organisation consisting of at least 52 members, operating mostly from Spain and Cyprus. The group worked with contacts outside of their organisation to liaise with clients and receive the cash to be laundered. Their contacts are linked to several commercial companies around the world. 

As the financial service was used throughout Europe, authorities had to work together to stop the criminal group. An international investigation was launched by setting up a joint investigation team (JIT) at Eurojust between Spanish, Cypriot and German authorities, Eurojust and Europol. Through the JIT, information from tax and judicial authorities was exchanged that led to the takedown of the criminal group. Europol supported this international operation with experts specialised in financial crime, fighting high-risk criminal networks, unravelling money laundering structures, and tracing cryptocurrency flows.

A series of actions were carried out to stop the financial service. In October 2024, actions were carried out in Spain, France and Cyprus to dismantle the criminal group. This was followed by actions in November 2024 that targeted actors working with the criminal group. A total of 91 searches were carried out, 77 in Spain, 1 in France and 13 in Cyprus. Twenty suspects were arrested in Spain, one in France and two in Slovenia. Authorities seized a total of EUR 8 million in cash, 2 million in bank accounts and froze EUR 27 million in cryptocurrency. Investigations into the group and its financial service continue.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

• Spain: Investigating Judge no 2 of El Prat de Llobregat; Public Prosecution Office of Barcelona; Guardia Civil Special Central Unit 3, Destabilizing Threat Group-UCO
• Cyprus: Attorney General’s Office; MOKAS (Unit for Combating Money Laundering); Criminal Investigation Department (CID) (in collaboration with other police departments)
• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office, Landshut; Customs Investigation Office, München
• France: Judicial Court of Marseille, Interregional Specialised Jurisdiction against organised crime (JIRS) ; National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF), Marseille/Nice. 

Source: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

President Schmid showed the European Commissioner how Eurojust provides hands-on support to prosecutors by promoting the exchange of information, developing prosecutorial strategies, facilitating the use of judicial cooperation tools, and implementing joint actions. This makes international judicial cooperation in complex cases easier and more efficient. In 2024, Eurojust supported over 12 000 criminal investigations, leading to the seizure and freezing of over EUR 1 billion and over 1 000 arrests. 

Commissioner for Democracy, Justice and Rule of Law, Michael McGrath, commented following his visit: ‘Eurojust embodies the spirit of unity and determination needed to combat transnational crime and uphold justice across borders. As we face evolving threats, our collaboration ensures that justice knows no boundaries, fostering safer societies for all Europeans. I am delighted to have visited Eurojust today and to have met again with President Schmid. Together, we can build a safer and more secure future.’

As criminal justice does not stop at the borders of the European Union, Eurojust has established strong ties with partners around the world. Commissioner McGrath learned of Eurojust’s network of Contact Points providing access to over 70 jurisdictions, the strategic Working Arrangements for cooperation, and the 12 Liaison Prosecutors stationed at the Agency working side by side with their colleagues from the Member States. Thanks to this set up, prosecutors can exchange information globally and work on criminal cases without restrictions.

After the visit Eurojust President, Michael Schmid, said: ‘It was a great honour to welcome Commissioner McGrath to Eurojust today, as we embark on a new European Commission term filled with major challenges that demand a united approach. From combating the rise of drug-related organised crime to tackling migrant smuggling and ensuring accountability for war crimes in Ukraine, Eurojust is committed to delivering pragmatic and impactful solutions for prosecutors in the Member States. With the Commissioner’s invaluable support, I look forward to strengthening our cooperation and ensuring that Eurojust remains a trusted partner in making Europe safer for all its citizens.‘

Eurojust’s broad portfolio of activities contributes to key priorities of the European Commission. Networks such as the Genocide Network and the European Judicial Cybercrime Network (EJCN) ensure that specialised prosecutors connect, exchange expertise and work together in cross-border investigations. The recently launched European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN) takes a strategic approach that goes beyond  investigative collaboration to combat issues such as  organised crime, drug trafficking and migrant smuggling . The EJOCN will address the poly-criminal nature of criminal networks and their agility in adapting to changes in the criminal environment.

Commissioner McGrath’s visit concluded with a presentation on Eurojust’s work to support  accountability for Russian crimes against Ukraine. Since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Eurojust has been working closely with partners, including the European Commission, to support investigations, collect, preserve and analyse evidence, and provide practical guidance. The International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) has been instrumental in strengthening the national investigations in Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED) has so far collected over 3 000 evidence files from 16 countries.

Source: Eurojust

Phase 3 of the SIRIUS project will continue to assist LEAs, JAs, and service providers in navigating the increasingly complex legal framework. The project will continue to foster close cooperation between the public and private sectors, ensuring that criminal investigations are more effective and efficient in the digital age. The adoption of new EU-wide legislation, alongside key international agreements such as the Second Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention, and the agreed draft text for a UN Convention on Cybercrime, are reshaping the legal and operational landscape surrounding electronic evidence.  In this challenging environment, SIRIUS has established itself as a centre of excellence in the field of cross-border access to electronic evidence in the EU. It offers a variety of services, such as guidelines, trainings and tools, to help with accessing data held by service providers.

To this day, SIRIUS serves a community of competent authorities from over 50 countries, representing all EU Member States and a growing number of third countries. It supports over 8 500 competent authorities and fosters collaboration with 220 service providers. With the upcoming implementation of new legal frameworks at EU and international level, Europol and Eurojust foresee to reinforce the success of the SIRIUS project with the expanded mission and diversified portfolio of activities, which will ensure seamless support to national LEAs and JAs during this critical transition.

The project’s activities will include the development of investigative tools, the organisation of high-impact events, and expanded capacity building to address urgent needs from LEAs and JAs. Additionally, the project will prepare LEAs and JAs to effectively use new instruments under the forthcoming EU Electronic Evidence legislative package, as well as other legislative changes concerning the cross-border acquisition of electronic evidence.

With its third phase, the SIRIUS project will also expand its geographical focus, strengthening cooperation with non-EU countries of particular importance for the implementation of the new legislation. This broadened approach will significantly contribute to the fight against all types of crime, with particular emphasis on organized crime and terrorism

By leveraging the expertise and established frameworks of Europol and Eurojust, SIRIUS project will smoothly transition into its next phase, ensuring that European LEAs and JAs stay at the forefront of innovation in criminal investigations involving electronic evidence.

Source: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

Commenting on his appointment as the new National Member, Mr Wąsik stated: This is a great honour and an incredible opportunity to help strengthen international judicial cooperation in the fight against serious crime. I am pleased that my work and commitment to date have been recognised in this way, all the more so because I am taking up this post at a very demanding time, including the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The Polish team at Eurojust has already been doing an excellent job in this direction and, given the scale of the challenge, I am pleased to announce that the Polish authorities have decided to significantly strengthen the composition of the team from 2025.

Since August 2023, Mr Wąsik has been Chair of the Economic Crime Team at Eurojust, coordinating and overseeing the support to specialised judicial experts and the coordination of cases concerning crimes such as swindling, fraud and money laundering. From July 2020 to 2023, he was Vice-Chair of the Economic Crime Team.

Mr Wąsik has extensive experience in combatting economic crimes. From 2010 until joining Eurojust in 2016, he worked as a public prosecutor at the Department of Economic Crime in the Circuit Prosecutor’s Office of Poznan. He started working for the Polish judiciary in June 2003 as a public prosecutor in the District Office of Poznan Grunwald.

The new National Member for Poland obtained a Master in Law at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan in 2000. He undertook several postgraduate studies in Economic and Business Law, Economic Criminal Law, and Financial Investigations and Analysis of Financial Crimes in Warsaw, Krakow and Strasbourg. He also followed a specialised study in asset recovery at the Basel Institute on Governance in 2018. In addition to his native Polish, Mr Wąsik speaks English and French.