Category: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

As the new U.S. Liaison Prosecutor, Ms Pospieszalska said: I’m incredibly honoured to represent the U.S. Department of Justice at Eurojust. My appointment – together with the present Deputy Liaison Prosecutor Timothy Rank and U.S. Special Prosecutor for the Crime of Aggression Jessica Kim – reflects the United States’ strong commitment to working hand in hand with our European partners to investigate and prosecute serious transnational crimes and uphold the rule of law.

Ms Pospieszalska comes to Eurojust having worked as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), the United States’ Central Authority, since December 2014. In this capacity, she has advised and assisted U.S. and foreign authorities on extraditions and requests for mutual legal assistance, with a particular focus on Europe. She also has extensive expertise on obtaining electronic evidence and international asset forfeiture matters.

Between June 2012 and October 2014, Ms Pospieszalska was a Law Clerk to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ms Pospieszalska also previously served as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

The new U. S. Liaison Prosecutor is already known to The Hague, where Eurojust has its premises. While still a law student focusing on international law, she spent a semester in The Hague working for the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands and simultaneously took a course at Leiden University.

In 2011, Ms Pospieszalska obtained a Juris Doctorate from the American University of Washington College of Law. She also holds a master’s degree in international affairs from the same university.

The United States is one of the twelve^* countries outside the European Union who have Liaison Prosecutors at Eurojust. Liaison Prosecutors represent their national prosecuting authorities and can open requests or cases for cross-border judicial (prosecutor) cooperation with national authorities of EU Member States and other third countries at the Agency. Vice versa, the national desks of EU Member States’ judiciaries at Eurojust can request cross-border judicial cooperation with the U.S. authorities through the Liaison Prosecutor.

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*Other countries outside the European Union with Liaison Prosecutors at Eurojust are: Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and United Kingdom.

Source: Eurojust

Some highlights of our 2024 casework:

EUR 2 billion money laundering network dismantled

A financial institution in Lithuania was discovered laundering around EUR 2 billion through a worldwide web of shell companies. Italian, Latvian and Lithuanian authorities, supported by Eurojust and Europol, took down the network during an action day on 27 February. Eighteen people were arrested and over EUR 11.5 million in assets and bank accounts were frozen.

Takedown of online infrastructure used for terrorist propaganda

After a complex investigation that monitored the online activities of terrorist groups, authorities in Spain traced servers across the globe that were supporting multiple media outlets disseminating worldwide propaganda meant to incite terrorism. A global coalition between Spanish, German, Dutch, American and Icelandic authorities was set up to take the servers offline. With the support of Eurojust and Europol, servers were taken down and nine radicalised individuals were arrested.

Large anti-mafia operation leads to arrest and freezing of EUR 50 million

Authorities uncovered an intricate money laundering scheme run by a mafia family in Brazil. Profits of their crimes were reinvested into multiple companies in Brazil, including a well-known hotel. Through a joint investigation team at Eurojust, Italian and Brazilian authorities investigated the activities of the mafia family and planned a large global operation to arrest the suspects. The operation led to the arrest of one of the mafia members and the freezing of financial assets worth EUR 50 million.

Belarusians Charged for Forced Plane Landing

Eurojust supported a joint investigation team between Polish and Lithuanian authorities that investigated the forced landing in Belarus of a commercial flight. The unprecedented case shed a light on the real reason behind the flight’s diversion: suspects instructed air traffic controllers to land the aircraft in order to arrest a Belarusian dissident. In September, the investigation led to the arrest warrants for three Belarusian officials.

Authorities stop malware targeting millions of people

Two infostealers, malware that is able to steal personal data from infected devices, was taken down by a global operation. Authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia and Eurojust and Europol shut down three servers in the Netherlands and seized two domains. The operation stopped the malware from stealing data such as usernames and passwords that were used to steal money or carry out other hacking activities.

Fake art network discovered that could have cause losses of EUR 200 million

Banksy, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh are among the artists whose work was forged by a criminal group that set up a sophisticated fake art operation. The group produced the art, organised exhibitions of the forged works and worked together with compromised auction houses to sell the pieces. Eurojust supported Italian authorities to dismantle the criminal group and set up the cooperation between Belgian, French and Spanish authorities. During an action day in November, 38 people were arrested and over 2 000 fake art works were seized.

Source: Eurojust

Here are a few highlights:

Deepening Cooperation with Latin America

Organised crime groups are increasingly operating on a global scale, which means efforts for cooperation with partner countries outside of the EU is a priority. With 68% of the most threatening criminal networks operate globally, and 36% of these networks engaged in drug trafficking, forging closer partnerships with countries who are frequent origin or transit points is critical.

Over the course of the year, new Working Arrangements were signed between Eurojust and the Prosecution Services of Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Peru. These arrangements strengthen cooperation in crime areas that affect both the EU and Latin American countries, such as drug and arms trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime.

Launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network

In September, we took another important step in the fight against organised crime with the launch of the European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN). The Network, which is hosted at Eurojust, aims to go beyond investigation-based collaboration to combat organised crime strategically. Specialised prosecutors from all EU Member States are brought together to focus on the horizontal issues that arise in the investigation and prosecution of high-risk criminal groups. This will allow them to tackle recurring legal challenges and identify new, practical opportunities for closer cooperation.

The members benefit from Eurojust’s unique operational expertise in setting up joint investigation teams and using other judicial cooperation tools in cross-border criminal investigations. The first priority focus of the EJOCN is combatting drug-related organised crime connected to European ports and other logistic hubs.

Supporting Accountability Efforts in Ukraine

Documenting and prosecuting core international crimes is a long-term commitment and Eurojust remains resolute in our accountability efforts. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, we have been at the forefront of supporting accountability for Russian crimes. In July, we marked one year since the launch of the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. The ICPA’s independent prosecutors and investigators from different countries have been working together regularly at Eurojust, benefitting from the Agency’s dedicated team of legal experts and tailor-made technical, logistical and financial support. This has enabled them to exchange information and evidence quickly and efficiently, and coordinate a common investigative and prosecutorial strategy.

This year also saw the joint investigation team on alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine amend the JIT Agreement to enhance investigations on crimes of torture, ill-treatment and filtration.

Hosting Partners in The Hague

Our close partnership with national judicial authorities sits at the foundation of our Agency. Every year, we have thousands of prosecutors coming to Eurojust to discuss cases or participate in coordination centres or coordination meetings. In 2024, we were able to welcome many high level visitors, including the President of Slovenia, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova, Ministers of Justice and Interior from many EU Member States, and many others.

These visits are opportunities to discuss ways to strengthen judicial cooperation, update national authorities on Eurojust’s work, and identify opportunities for closer collaboration.

Welcoming our New Presidency

2024 was also marked by a change in Eurojust’s leadership, with Mr Ladislav Hamran bidding the Agency farewell after serving 11 years in the Presidency – 7 as President and 4 as Vice-President. Austrian National Member Mr Michael Schmid was elected as his successor, with his 4-year tenure beginning in November. We also welcomed a new Vice-President, Spanish National Member Jose de la Mata, in December.

With no equivalent worldwide, Eurojust continued to deliver remarkable results in 2024, enabling prosecutors and law enforcement authorities from the EU and beyond to bring perpetrators to justice.

Source: Eurojust

The criminal group consisting mostly of Bulgarian nationals, set up a large-scale operation to steal power cables in three states in Germany, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Hesse and Saarland. After stealing the power cables, the group sold them for substantial profits. Afterwards, the proceeds were then transferred to Bulgaria. 

Through investigations, the authorities were able to link 45 individual cases of power cable theft to the criminal group. The total value of the stolen cables is around 1 million euros.

After German authorities discovered that the criminal group behind the theft was partly residing in Bulgaria and was moving their profits to Bulgaria, cooperation between the authorities was set up at Eurojust. The authorities worked together to plan the joint operation to arrest the suspects and stop the thefts. Europol supported the action day by deploying an expert with a mobile office to Bulgaria. Leading up to this, Europol organised an operational meeting, provided operational analysis and supported the cross-border surveillance with a virtual command post.

In the early hours of 17 December, authorities in Bulgaria and Germany took action with nearly 200 officers, investigators and prosecutors deployed. The operation was coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. Twenty-four house searches, nine personal searches and six car searches took place in Bulgaria. During the searches, authorities were able to seize items such as telephones and document that will now be used to continue investigations into the group. Eight suspects were arrested, five in Bulgaria and three in Germany.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

• Germany: Public Prosecution Office Heilbronn; Heilbronn Police
• Bulgaria: Public Prosecution Offices Varna and Shumen; Property Crime Department of the General Police Directorate, National Police; Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Home Affairs-Varna

Source: Eurojust

Source: Eurojust

Effective cooperation begins with a solid understanding of the various judicial systems. In this regard, on 11 December, delegations from South Partner Countries presented key elements of their national justice systems, including an overview of their organisational structures and descriptions of the national frameworks for judicial cooperation. This covered the role of central authorities and the involvement of prosecution services in facilitating judicial cooperation. The purpose of this roundtable was to raise awareness on the specificities of the South Partner Countries’ criminal justice systems in comparison with EU systems. In addition, the information shared during the roundtable will enable the creation of the EuroMed Justice fiches, on the model of the European Judicial Network Fiches Belges. 

The same day, the EuroMed Justice team also reported on how the Project is transitioning to a more operational approach, and clarified the mandates, objectives, composition and functioning of the EMJ cooperation mechanisms.

On 12 December, South Partner Countries presented the legislative development at National Level (international or bilateral agreements, Conventions, Data Protection Rules) and provided their own recommendations on strategic cooperation on asset recovery.

In the margins of the main discussions, several bilateral meetings with successful outcomes between the delegations and with Eurojust National Members were also organised.

Source: Eurojust

The criminal gang was responsible for the import, export, supply, transport and sale of weapons and explosive materials from Kosovo to Albania. It is suspected that the gang intended to set up a trafficking route towards the European Union. In addition to arms trafficking, the gang also trafficked drugs, mainly cocaine, from Albania to Kosovo.

In April this year, the Special Prosecutor’s Office in Kosovo found out about the criminal group and launched its investigation. As the criminal group consisted of citizens from both Kosovo and Albania, judicial cooperation began. A joint investigation team (JIT) was set up at Eurojust, with the support of the Western Balkans Criminal Justice Project. This project strengthens cooperation within the Western Balkans and between the region and the EU, using modern tools and methods to combat organised crime and terrorism.

The JIT enabled the Albanian and Kosovar authorities to work together efficiently and effective, exchanging information in real time. A joint operation was planned to arrest the members of the criminal group, search properties to seize arms and gather evidence. 

On 10 and 11 December, authorities launched their joint operation. During their actions, eight suspects were arrested in Kosovo. Nine properties owned by the suspects were searched, where authorities seized 29 pistols, 3 long guns, over 2600 rounds of ammunition, 2 vehicles and electronic equipment. In Albania, six suspects were arrested and seven properties were searched. Authorities seized 23 firearms, a hand grenade, 470 rounds of ammunition, 3 vehicles, 10 mobile phones and a significant amount of money. Investigations are ongoing.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

Albania: Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction of Tirana; State Police

Kosovo: Special Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kosovo; Kosovo Police

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* This designation is made without prejudice to positions on status and is in accordance with UNSCR 1244/ 1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

Source: Eurojust

Following the arrest of two members of an Italian mafia family in Brazil in 2019, investigations were launched into the links between Brazilian and Italian criminal groups. The investigations revealed strong ties between the Italian mafia and Brazilian criminal organisations involved in coordinating cocaine shipments to Europe from the Port of Paranaguá. Throughout the investigations, authorities documented over 1 500 kg cocaine trafficked to Europe.

The international criminal group linked to the ‘Ndrangheta in Piedmont concealed the cocaine shipments in cargo ships destined for various European ports. Drugs were also transported by air in private aircraft. Their activities generated huge profits for the criminal organisation. The multi-million euro profits were laundered through an intricate network of individuals and companies.

Italian and Brazilian authorities worked together on the complex investigation through a joint investigation team (JIT) set up at Eurojust in 2020. The JIT allowed the authorities to exchange information in real time and plan the arrests and searches, which took place simultaneously in Brazil and Italy. Europol supported the investigation by coordinating the exchange of information between EU Member States and Brazil, and providing EU authorities with intelligence packages. These files allowed affected countries to finalise their investigations. Before the action day, Europol welcomed two Brazilian experts to its headquarters in The Hague, who worked hand-in-hand with affected EU Member States.

The four-year investigation culminated in a large-scale operation on 10 December in Italy and Brazil. Italian and Brazilian authorities disrupted the activities of the criminal groups by arresting 23 suspects, 5 in Italy and 18 in Brazil. Searches were carried out at several addresses across Brazil.

The following authorities were involved in the actions:

Italy: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Turin – District Antimafia Directorate; Italian National Antimafia Prosecutor’s Office; Carabinieri of the ROS (Special Operational Group) and of the Provincial Command of Turin; Italian Central Anti-Drug Directorate

Brazil: Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office of Brazil; Federal Police of Brazil through the Special Group for Sensitive Investigations of Paraná; Federal Police of the State of Paraíba, Authotities of the States of Curitiba and Joao Pessoa

Source: Eurojust

Commenting on his election by his fellow National Members in the College of Eurojust, Mr de la Mata said: It is a great privilege and responsibility to be elected by my peers as Vice-President of Eurojust. It will be an honour to lead together the collegial work of the Agency over the next four years. Our Agency will continue to collaborate with the judicial authorities of Member States, the European institutions and other agencies in the fight against criminal networks, which are increasingly operating on a global scale. We will also continue to develop our relations with international organisations, regional networks and judicial partners outside the EU. Through this coordinated approach, we will contribute to the common objective of guaranteeing our fellow citizens effective justice after due process, in an environment that enables security and allows the development of rights and freedoms for all.

The new Vice-President of Eurojust is a Spanish judge. He started working for the judiciary in 1987 as an investigative judge in Algeciras and Cádiz and as a judge in criminal trials in Las Palmas. He later served as a judge in the Court of Appeals of Las Palmas and Madrid, and in the High Court of Justice in Madrid. From 2015 until becoming National Member for Spain at Eurojust in December 2020, Mr de la Mata served as judge at the Central Investigative Court No 5 of the National Court.

Furthermore, Mr de la Mata worked at the Spanish General Council of the Judiciary from 1993 to 2001, as Director of the Department for Continuing Training of Judges and later as Director of the International Relations Department. From 2003 to 2009, he was Legal Advisor at the Constitutional Court, and between 2009 and 2011 Director General of Modernisation at the Spanish Ministry of Justice and Secretary-General of the Administration of Justice.

The new Vice-President has been Contact Point for Spain in the Network of National Experts on joint investigation teams and is Contact Point for Spain in the European Judicial Network. He speaks Spanish and English.

Mr de la Mata replaces the National Member for Slovenia Mr Boštjan Škrlec, who decided not to run for a second mandate. The two Vice-Presidents of the Agency carry out duties entrusted to them by the President of the Agency and represent or replace him.

As a new Vice-President, Mr de la Mata will also be a member of the Executive Board of Eurojust, which assists the College of the Agency in its management functions and oversees the preparatory work of the Administrative Director, Mr Vincent Jamin. The College is the final body responsible for the organisation and operation of Eurojust, consisting of all National Members and a representative of the European Commission, with the exception of Denmark.

Source: Eurojust