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Source: Europol
The action day on 21 February led to:19 arrests in Germany (7 under Belgian judicial order and 12 under French judicial order)5 High Value Targets (the leader and the main organisers) arrested28 locations (19 houses and 9 storage places) searched in GermanySeizures include: 24 inflatable boats, 175 life vests, 81 flotation devices for children, 60 air pumps, 13 outboard mounts,…
Source: NATO
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Brussels on Wednesday (21 February 2024) to discuss further strengthening the Alliance’s long-standing partnership with Georgia.
The Secretary General emphasised that Georgia is a close partner and reiterated NATO’s full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “NATO continues to call on Russia to reverse the recognition of Georgian territories as independent states”, Mr Stoltenberg said. “Any threats by Russia to annex Georgia’s occupied regions are unacceptable.”
Ahead of a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission which discussed NATO’s partnership with Georgia and regional security, the Secretary General commended Georgia for hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees and providing crucial humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine.
NATO is stepping up its cooperation with Georgia in areas such as crisis management, cyber security, military engineering and secure communications. Mr Stoltenberg urged Georgia to continue and step up domestic reforms and uphold democratic values on its path toward full membership in the Euro-Atlantic family. “NATO will continue to stand by your side as you work toward fulfilling those aspirations”, the Secretary General said.
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:
Source: Europol
A large-scale operation involving law enforcement and judicial authorities from Belgium, France and Germany and coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, has led to the dismantling of one of the most active networks involved in the smuggling of migrants across the English Channel in small boats. The investigation focused on an Iraqi-Kurdish network suspected of smuggling middle-Eastern and East African irregular migrants…
Source: NATO
So, Prime Minister Kobakhidze, welcome to NATO, it’s great to see you here.
We have met before but this is the first time we meet in your new capacity as Prime Minister and therefore let me start by congratulating you on your appointment as Prime Minister and we look forward to working with you.
Georgia is a close NATO partner, and we fully support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
NATO continues to call on Russia to reverse the recognition of Georgian territories as independent states.
Any threats by Russia to annex Georgia’s occupied regions are unacceptable.
This week, we mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s withdrawal from Avdiivka shows that the situation on the battlefield is extremely difficult.
But the Ukrainians have exceeded expectations over and again. And NATO continues to stand with Ukraine.
Just in the last few days, Allies have announced new military support packages worth billions of euros. Including for air defences, artillery ammunition, and F-16 equipment.
NATO partners are also playing a key role, and I welcome that Georgia is providing humanitarian and financial aid, and hosting thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
At our meeting today, we will also address security in the Black Sea region which I know is of great importance for Georgia.
Russia’s war against Ukraine poses substantial risks to the freedom of navigation. This also impacts food security around the world. So I welcome the efforts of Allies working to demine the Black Sea, making it safer for navigation and commerce.
In our meeting today we will also discuss the partnership between NATO and Georgia, and how to develop it further.
I welcome the progress made in areas like crisis management, cyber security, military engineering, and secure communications.
I also congratulate you on gaining candidate status with the European Union.
Now it is important for Georgia to continue and step up domestic reforms and uphold democratic values.
We want to see Georgia move in the right direction. Toward more democracy and prosperity. Toward full membership in the Euro-Atlantic family.
NATO will continue to stand by your side as you work toward fulfilling those aspirations.
So Prime Minister, once again welcome, it’s great to see you here at the NATO headquarters.
Source: Europol
Three individuals, suspected of being the ringleaders of the fraud scheme, were arrested in Germany. During the searches, carried out in several locations across Germany (including Munich, Cologne and Rostock) and Italy, over 40 expensive vehicles and a luxury apartment in Munich were seized. In addition, several bank accounts, valuing over EUR 1.2 million were frozen. Law enforcement seized cash…
Source: Europol
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…
Source: NATO
Speaking at NATO’s first Space Reverse Industry Day on Tuesday (20 February 2024), Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană highlighted the importance of cooperation with commercial space industry to ensure Alliance security. “This is not a job for NATO alone. It is something we must do together,” he said.
Faced with ever-fiercer world competition and fast-evolving technological innovation, Allies have to enhance their defences and resilience in the space domain. The Space Reverse Industry Day gave space companies the opportunity to share their unique perspectives and help shape NATO’s commercial space agenda. Discussions ranged from addressing commercial challenges with public sector organisations; exploring initiatives for new multinational space investments; considering space innovation activities through DIANA, to streamlining and enhancing space standardization and interoperability.
Space companies from 21 NATO nations took part in the event, from satellite manufacturer and satellite communications companies to space robotics companies developing in-orbit servicing technologies. A large majority included start-ups, small- and medium-enterprises and non-traditional defence companies.
NATO’s first space policy was approved in 2019, and space officially became an operational domain that same year. Eighteen NATO Allies and Sweden will soon launch the “Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space” initiative, which will help increase NATO’s data collection and use from commercial and national satellites and enhance NATO’s intelligence and surveillance picture.
Source: Eurojust
In a coordinated action supported by Eurojust and Europol, judicial and law enforcement authorities from 10 different countries have severely disrupted LockBit, the world’s most active ransomware operation. Two members of the ransomware team have been arrested in Poland and Ukraine. In addition, law enforcement has compromised LockBit’s primary platform and other enabling infrastructure. This includes the takedown of 34 servers in the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, France, Switzerland, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom.
LockBit first emerged at the end of 2019, initially calling itself ‘ABCD’ ransomware. Since then, it has grown rapidly and by 2022 had become the most deployed ransomware variant worldwide. LockBit attacks are believed to have affected over 2,500 victims all over the world.
The group is a ‘ransomware-as-a-service’ operation, meaning that a core team creates its malware and runs its website, while licensing out its code to affiliates who launch attacks.
The joint action enabled the various police forces to take control of much of the infrastructure that enables the LockBit ransomware to operate, including the darknet, and, in particular, the ‘wall of shame’ used to publish the data of victims who refused to pay the ransom. This action has disrupted the network’s ability to operate.
Authorities have also frozen more than 200 cryptocurrency accounts linked to the criminal organisation.
This international operation follows a complex investigation led by the UK National Crime Agency. Supported by Eurojust and Europol, law enforcement from nine other countries worked in close partnership with the National Crime Agency on this case, including authorities in France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and Japan.
The case was opened at Eurojust in April 2022 at the request of the French authorities. Five coordination meetings were hosted by the Agency to facilitate judicial cooperation and to prepare for the joint action.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) organised 27 operational meetings, and 4 technical 1-week sprints to develop the investigative leads in preparation of the final phase of the investigation. Europol also provided analytical, crypto-tracing and forensic support. In addition, three Europol experts were deployed to the command post in London during the action phase.
With Europol’s support, the Japanese Police, the National Crime Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation pooled their technical expertise to develop decryption tools designed to recover files encrypted by the LockBit ransomware. These solutions have been made available free of charge on the ‘No More Ransom’ portal, which is available in 37 languages. So far, more than 6 million victim across the globe have benefited from No More Ransom, which contains over 120 solutions capable of decrypting more than 150 different types of ransomware.
The following authorities took part in this investigation:
Source: NATO
On 19th and 20th February 2024, the NATO Defense College Academic Advisory Board (AAB) convened its 53rd annual meeting in Rome, Italy. The AAB advises the Commandant on ways in which to improve the academic, research and outreach activities of the College, to enhance links with NATO HQ and Allied Command Transformation, and to ensure that the College’s outreach strategies align with those of the Alliance.
The meeting began with Opening Remarks from the Commandant of the NATO Defense College (NDC), Lieutenant General Max Nielsen and the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer. As Chair of the AAB, Admiral Bauer laid out the agenda and objectives for the meeting, adding, that “these discussions provide the AAB and the NDC with an excellent opportunity to explore current and future requirements NATO may have in the domains of education, training as well as research and innovation”.
The Board received an update from the Director of the NDC’s Research Division, Dr. Florence Gaub who briefed on the 2024 Research Plan, the College’s most recent publications and new areas to be exploited. The Board also received an update on the NDC’s ongoing education programme as well as the scheduled exercises for 2024, and an update on NDC engagement activities.
In his closing remarks, Lieutenant General Nielsen highlighted his desire to find ways for the NDC to support NATO. “In order to do that, the guidance from the Academic Advisory Board, some of our most important stakeholders, is crucial to help us identify areas where we can improve and innovate our education, research, engagement, and enablement tasks for the betterment of our Alliance and our partners”, he concluded.
Admiral Bauer commended the NDC for the essential role it has been playing in the education of NATO’s future leaders and highlighted the excellent work the College has been doing with its outreach to Partners. “All in all, over 60 nations are able to attend these courses and benefit from this international environment, which enables Allied and Partner participants to engage with each other, learn from each other and encourage their personal growth”, he remarked.
Concluding the meeting, Admiral Bauer encouraged the NDC to continue “striving for excellence, and to maintain its status as the Alliance’s premier education and training institution, as well as its leading research and innovation facility”.
On the side-lines of the AAB meeting, Admiral Bauer gave a lecture to the members of the Senior Course, the NATO Regional Cooperation Course and the ongoing Modular Short Course on “NATO’s new Era of Collective Defence”. Participants included military and civilians representatives from 40 NATO and Partner Nations.
Other members of the Board in attendance: Ms Marie-Doha Besancenot (NATO International Staff); Vice Admiral Guy Robinson (ACT Representative); Major General Davide Re (ACO Representative); Major General Tiberiu Serban (NATO International Military Staff); Mr Mr Fergal Anthony O’Regan (European Security Defense College); Dr Bernard Finel (Marshall Center); Dr Pierre Razoux (FMES Institute), Professor Andrea Prencipe (Rector of LUISS); and Dr Jamie M. Johnson (Leicester University).