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Source: Europol
Held over two days, from 24 to 25 September 2024, the event brought together more than 450 delegates from 50 countries, focusing on collaborative strategies to combat emerging criminal threats and enhance international cooperation.This year, the EPCC featured two expert workshops in advance, followed by three high-level panels on priority issues: drug trafficking, online fraud and the impact of cyberattacks,…
Source: Europol
This year, the Croatian, Estonian and Dutch Police were recognised for their achievements in three categories: Innovation initiative in ethics, diversity and inclusion; Innovative operation and Innovative technical solution.The Europol Excellence Awards in Innovation are presented annually by Europol to put a spotlight on the law enforcement community’s most innovative initiatives and operations.Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle, praised the…
Source: Europol
The report also delves into the implications of the recently adopted EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which imposes regulations on law enforcement’s use of AI. Key provisions include a ban on certain applications, such as real-time biometric identification in public spaces, and stringent oversight of high-risk AI systems. While these regulations present challenges, they also foster innovation by encouraging the creation…
Source: Europol
In simultaneous actions, ten additional members of the same organised crime group were apprehended in Riga, Latvia, while six others were arrested in Lloret de Mar and Valencia, Spain, in collaboration with the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional).The main suspect has been one of the key figures in the Latvian criminal world. He was known for his luxurious lifestyle, despite…
Source: Europol
This year’s award ceremony was held at Europol’s headquarters during the 5th European Criminal Analysis Conference (EUCrimACon).The Criminal Analyst of the Year Award is presented annually by Europol to recognise the work of analysts in the field of criminal intelligence. This year’s winners were selected from a pool of nominees representing various European countries, all of whom have made significant…
Source: Europol
On 19 September, Bulgarian authorities, supported by Europol, dismantled a criminal network smuggling migrants from Türkiye via Bulgaria and Serbia towards Western Southern Europe. The investigation, involving Greek and Romanian authorities, was conducted in the framework of a regional Operational Task Force set up to investigate migrant smuggling networks using Bulgaria as a transit country.The action day led to:8 arrests…
Source: Europol
Investigators reported 483 000 victims worldwide, who had attempted to regain access to their phones and been phished in the process. The victims are mainly Spanish-speaking nationals from European, North American and South American countries.The successful operation took place thanks to international cooperation between law enforcement and judiciary authorities from Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.The action week took…
Source: NATO
From 2 to 5 October 2024, the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff (DGIMS), Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak visited NATO Partner Armenia. While in Yerevan, he met with military leaders and senior officials. Their discussions included military cooperation, defence reform and how to strengthen regional security and stability.
NATO and Armenia have a long-standing Partnership, for 30 years, since Armenia joined the Partnership for Peace in 1994. For nearly 20 years, Armenia has also been a key partner in NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission, helping to ensure a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo. During his visit LTG Adamczak underscored the importance of this contribution. “We welcome Armenia’s increased level of cooperation with NATO over the past two years. That includes additional troop contributions to our KFOR mission in Kosovo,” said Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak.
In his meeting with Lt. General Edvard Asryan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, LTG Adamczak highlighted that NATO is ready to develop the Partnership with Armenia. “We are developing a new framework for our cooperation with a special focus on defence education, defence reform, interoperability, resilience and public diplomacy,” LTG Adamczak added. In his speech in the Military Academy in Yerevan he focused on NATO’s reinforcement of collective defence, while also outlining the way ahead for military cooperation between Armenia and NATO. “Your dedication as a NATO Partner to our operations, missions and activities shows that military cooperation between NATO and its Partners is mutually beneficial,” LTG Adamczak, said in his address.
While in Yerevan, the Director General of the NATO International Military Staff also discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine with his Armenian hosts, condemning the illegal Russian aggression and calling for support and solidarity with Ukraine.
Source: NATO
From 3 to 5 October 2024, the Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling, payed an official visit to Montenegro where he met with key Montenegrin military and political leaders. Lieutenant General Rohling also engaged with the “To Be Secure” Forum, organized by the Atlantic Council of Montenegro.
In Budva, Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Lieutenant General Rohling, and the Montenegrin Chief of Defence, Brigadier General Zoran Lazarević, sat down to discuss the outcomes of the recent NATO Chiefs of Defence Conference in Prague. Lieutenant General Rohling also took the opportunity to thank Montenegro for its contributions to NATO’s collective defence and the increased support for Ukraine.
Speaking with the Minister of Defence, Mr Dragan Krapovic, Lieutenant General Rohling stressed Montenegro’s critical role in securing stability in the Western Balkans, “NATO praises Montenegro’s contribution to Allied security through your continuous investment into modernization and standardization, which facilitates interoperability and interchangeability of Montenegrin Armed Forces within the Alliance”, underscored Lieutenant General Rohling.
In separate meetings with the President, Mr Jakov Milatovic, and Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić, the Montenegrin political leadership announced that the country had edged-over the 2% mark of GDP investment in defence spending. Earlier this year, Montenegro had committed to meet this baseline until the end of 2024. Lieutenant General Rohling praised the increase in defence investment and reflected on the last 7 years of positive contributions by Montenegro to the Alliance, since their accession in 2017.
Before returning to Brussels, the Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee participated in an engagement at the “To Be Secure” Forum. The theme of this year’s edition was: “World in Disorder: Turning Adversity into Opportunity”. In his remarks, Lieutenant General Rohling Committee highlighted NATO’s response to the fundamental changes of global security, while focusing on cooperation with Montenegro. “NATO is fully committed to Montenegro, which is a key part of the Alliance, and the strong leadership of Montenegro is important for the Alliance.”
Highlighting practical examples of NATO-Montenegrin cooperation, Lieutenant General Rohling said “For the past two months, an element of Montenegro’s forces trained in Germany. They were part of a larger American brigade, and they performed phenomenally during that exercise, and this is a means to demonstrate the readiness of Montenegro’s armed forces in practice. Montenegro also contributes to missions in Iraq, Kosovo and NATO’s Forward Land Forces.”
Throughout the visit, the Deputy Chair of the NATO Military Committee was accompanied by the US Ambassador to Montenegro, Mrs. Judy Rising Reinke.
Source: NATO
On Wednesday (2 October), NATO, Allied space experts and space industry representatives gathered at NATO Headquarters in Brussels to address how to increase the protection of commercial partners against hybrid threats.
Over the past decade, the commercial space sector has grown substantially, driven by rapid advances in technology and higher demand from both civilian and military users. However, new opportunities in space come with new risks, vulnerabilities and threats.
During the Commercial Space Forum at NATO, participants discussed the threats they face, from cyber-attacks against ground systems, to jamming or spoofing of GPS and other satellite communications signals. They also addressed the importance of further investment in areas such as cybersecurity and sharing information about threats.
NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, Ms Tarja Jaakkola, highlighted the need for a new relationship between the military and the commercial sector, “where both sides can learn from another, and where we can support and harness the entrepreneurial spirit and technological innovation essential to keep our defences strong and effective.”
The Forum will help frame NATO’s first Commercial Space Strategy next year, which will include direction for the protection of industry partners.