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Source: Europol
This major coordinated and complex law enforcement operation was carried out in several locations across France. More than 110 French police officers, including tactical and canine units, arrested 13 members of the criminal network. Supported by Europol and INTERPOL analysts and in coordination with international police forces, law enforcement took the two main network coordinators in France, logisticians and car…
Source: NATO
From 14th to 16th September 2023, at the invitation of General Eirik Kristoffersen, the NATO and Invitee Chiefs of Defence gathered in Oslo, Norway for their annual Military Committee Conference. The agenda of the conference focussed on implementing the decisions taken at the Vilnius Summit, which aim to further strengthen the Alliance’s Deterrence and Defence Posture.
Opening the NATO Military Committee Conference, alongside the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Mr Bjørn Arild Gram and Norwegian Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen, Admiral Bauer thanked the hosts for their warm welcome and hostility. He then proceeded to provide an overview of the day’s agenda, which focussed mainly on the executability of the DDA family of plans: “The plans that Allies agreed in Vilnius will impact the development of all our armed forces for decades to come. We are taking bold steps to further strengthen our deterrence and defence posture. Never before have NATO and national defence plans been so closely interlinked”, he noted. When addressing the Regional Plans, he added, “they are underpinned by objective, threat-based Force Structure Requirements, which detail precisely which assets or capabilities are required in a crisis or conflict scenario. Needless to say, these plans and requirements are living documents. They will be updated as the threats that face us develop”.
The Chiefs of Defence discussed how these plans would feed into existing processes. “To turn these plans into action, we will need more troops at higher readiness; capability building and development; adapt the NATO’s command and control structures; more enablement, which includes logistics, host nation support, maintenance, military mobility, and replenishment and prepositioning of stocks; and crucially, it involves more collective defence exercise and training”, underscored the Chair in his opening remarks. This is part of NATO’s evolution from an Alliance optimised for out-of-area contingency operations to an Alliance fit for the purpose of large-scale operations to defend every inch of allied territory.
The military leaders paid tribute to their brothers and sisters in uniform: those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and to those still suffering from the mental or physical effects of their deployment.
“Once Sweden joins, we will have a band of 3.5 million brothers and sisters in uniform who protect our great Alliance. They see together what they cannot see alone. They do together what they cannot do alone. The military profession brings immense opportunities. But it also requires immense sacrifices”, emphasised Admiral Bauer, before inviting all Chiefs of Defence to stand for a moment of silence.
The Chiefs of Defence also focused their attention on the future and NATO’s longer-term posture. The Chiefs of Defence expressed concerns about the shortages in production capacity that cause delivery times and prices for equipment and ammunition to go up. “Right now, we are paying more and more for exactly the same… and that means that we cannot make sure that the increased defence spending actually leads to more security. Our liberal economies are not apt at creating the prioritisation that is so desperately needed right now. Long term stability needs to prevail over short term profits”, stressed Admiral Bauer in his press remarks.
During the conference, the NATO Chiefs of Defence decided to extend Admiral Bauer as Chair of the NATO Military Committee for an additional 6 months and elected the Italian Chief of Defence, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone to be his successor for 2,5 years.
Source: NATO
On 16 September 2023, the NATO Chiefs of Defence agreed to extend the mandate of the current Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer for an extra 6 months, and elect the Italian Chief of Defence, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone as his successor.
This decision was taken during the Military Committee Conference in Oslo. The NATO Chiefs of Defence cited the need for continuity of leadership in a volatile security climate and amidst the largest reinforcement of the Alliance’s collective defence since the Cold War. The decision will also allow Admiral Dragone to serve out his term as Italian Chief of Defence until November 2024.
Reacting to the election result, Admiral Bauer stated: “I am honoured and humbled by the continued trust that the Allied Chiefs of Defence have placed in me. I will do my utmost to keep unifying north, south, east, west, large and small within our Alliance. And to actively reach out to NATO’s Partners around the world. Always building on the fundamental belief that there is so much more that unites us, than what divides us. And that we are truly stronger together.”
Admiral Dragone stated: “Also on behalf of Italy, I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious assignment which I will carry out with an unreserved commitment to the success of the Atlantic Alliance and the affirmation of its founding values, freedom and democracy. NATO will be able to offer its full support to Ukraine and the challenges that are looming on an international scale. I take this opportunity to thank Admiral Bauer for the extraordinary work he has been doing and which will inspire me.“
The Chair of the NATO Military Committee represents the consensus-based views of all NATO Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) as the principal military adviser to the Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and other senior NATO bodies. In his capacity, he guides the Military Committee’s agenda and deliberations, listening to views and working to reconcile divergent national positions or policy differences to fashion advice that all can agree to.
Source: NATO
The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to New York from Monday 18 September through Thursday 21 September 2023 to attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
On Tuesday 19 September, the Secretary General will participate in the opening of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He will also have meetings with world leaders and high-level officials
On Thursday 21 September, the Secretary General will participate in a discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations. He will also attend the Transatlantic Dinner hosted by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Antony J. Blinken.
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Source: NATO
From 12 to 14 September 2023, the NATO Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS) convened its 60th plenary in London, United Kingdom. The COMEDS received keynote addresses from Mr. Angus Lapsley, Assistant Secretary General of the Defence Policy and Planning (ASG DPP) Division and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), Admiral Sir Keith Blount. Further briefings were delivered by the Ukrainian Surgeon General, Major General Tetiana Ostashchenko, NATO Command Structure military medical officers, as well as COMEDS Working Group and Panel representatives.
Organised to coincide with the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) trade exhibition, COMEDS’ delegates toured the exhibition and met with leading medical industry representatives on disruptive and digital technologies. Throughout the three-day plenary, delegates from Australia, Austria, Israel, Switzerland, New Zealand, Serbia, Ukraine and Invitee Sweden attended different sessions in person or via Video Teleconference.
The COMEDS Chair, Major General Tim Hodgetts, the United Kingdom’s Surgeon General, opened the official plenary session by welcoming participants from Allied Nations, partner organisations and countries as well as NATO representatives. In his opening remarks, the Chair stressed the committee’s mission to ensure that NATO’s Deterrence and Defence is underpinned by effective medical support and enablement. Major General Hodgetts then highlighted the four domains of particular interest to COMEDs following NATO’s Vilnius Summit:
“As NATO moves forward translating these commitments into actions and activities, COMEDs needs to increase its support to both civilian and military entities across the organisation,” said Major General Hodgetts.
Delivering his keynote speech, Mr. Angus Lapsley, ASG DPP explained the role of the Defence Policy and Planning Division, NATO’s Defence Planning Process, and the significant impact of the Regional Plans for the military medical domain. Commending the COMEDS work, the Assistant Secretary General said: “You are playing an important role in positioning your community to strengthen medical planning and policy at the NATO level, raising awareness and providing advice on critical capability shortfalls, working hard to strengthen civil-military medical cooperation”.
Admiral Sir Keith Blount, DSACEUR focused his keynote remarks on the medical challenges facing Allied forces in the event of Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO), in light of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the challenging global security environment. DSACEUR further stressed the importance of the COMEDS Surgeon Generals engaging at the national level as the Regional Plans and tactical plans are further refined and developed.
The extraction of medical lessons from the Ukraine war is underpinning COMEDS ongoing work regarding medical capabilities and requirements for warfighting at scale. Briefing the Committee, Major General Tetiana Ostashchenko, Ukraine’s Surgeon General, explained the current situation in Ukraine and stressed the importance of continued support from Allies and partners. The Ukrainian Surgeon General went on to highlight the importance of NATO –Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package for the development of Ukrainian rehabilitation services, especially regarding a substantive project that will be decisive in returning injured Service Personnel back to active duty.
The COMEDS plenary saw sessions focused on medical support for Ukraine, the implementation of the Concept for the Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area (DDA), Patient Flow Management guidance, Global Partnership, and Strengthened Resilience through civil-military collaboration. In addition, progress reports from selected COMEDS Working Groups and Panels were briefed to the plenary. The Chair remarked that many current work strands from the Blood Panel to the Military Mental Health panel were now at a level that required cooperation and support from external stakeholders such as the Joint Health Group, the European Union Military Staff, and the NATO Command Structure.
Concluding the plenary, COMEDS delegates took advantage of the DSEI trade exhibition, to engage with Industry Partners and to participate in a planned DISruptive TECHnology discovery trail with subject matter experts and medical industry partners. “Interoperability and multi-nationality in medical provision assures common and best standards as well as buys out mutual risks of capability shortfalls”, stressed Major General Hodgetts.
Source: NATO
On 14th and 15th September 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer visited Norway at the invitation of its Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen. The visit occurred in the run up to the Military Committee Conference for Allied at Invitee Chiefs of Defence. During his visit, Admiral Bauer met with HRH Crown Prince Haakon, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt and Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram. He also travelled up to Ørland air base, home to Norway’s F-35 aircraft.
After being welcomed to Ørland by the Chief of Defence, General Eirik Kristoffersen and the Chief of the Air Force, Major General Rolf Folland, Admiral Bauer received a tour of the air base, which houses Norway’s F-35A and the Air Defence Battalion, as well search and rescue helicopters that operate all along the Norwegian coast and beyond. Ørland is also the only air base in Scandinavia equipped to host NATO’s AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, who use it when patrolling in the area. During his visit, the Chair was briefed on Norway’s approach to Nordic air defence, which entails an even closer cooperation with Finland, Sweden and Denmark and by reinforcing its air capabilities and plans.
Arriving at the Akershus Fortress, the Chair joined General Kristoffersen for the traditional honour guard, led by His Majesty The King’s Guard, who have been protecting the Norwegian Royal Family since 1856. Admiral Bauer subsequently met with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Anniken Huitfeldt. The exchanges focused on the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, the implications for Nations and the military, as well as the agenda for the impending NATO Military Committee Conference.
In his meeting with the Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, Admiral Bauer spoke about the Regional Plans and their importance to NATO’s collective defence. “The plans agreed in Vilnius Plans will impact the development of all our armed forces for decades to come. Never before have NATO and national defence plans been so closely interlinked. We are taking bold steps to further strengthen our deterrence and defence posture but a strong collective defence must be underpinned by even stronger national defence”, underscored the Chair.
The official programme concluded with an audience with the HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, at the Royal Palace in Oslo. Discussions centered on the importance of fostering leadership in younger generations, the role defence industry has to play, not only in helping the Armed Forces become greener, but ensuring that production demands can be fulfilled in a timely manner, with minimal impact on national security and defence.
Source: Interpol (news and events)
LYON, France – The Spanish National Police, in cooperation with the Spanish Tax Agency, Europol and INTERPOL, have dismantled an organized crime group suspected of fixing sporting events as well as using technology to place bets ahead of bookmakers.
So far, 23 suspects have been arrested, including one of the group’s leaders who was apprehended on the basis of an INTERPOL Red Notice for persons wanted internationally.
The operation began in 2020 when Spanish officers detected a series of suspicious online sports bets placed on international table tennis events. After analysing available data, investigators identified a criminal network of Romanian and Bulgarian origin.
Members of this crime ring fixed matches outside of Spain by corrupting athletes. Once the outcomes were agreed, crime group members based in Spain would then place online bets on a massive scale.
Through their investigations, officers uncovered a criminal process whereby the group would access match information before bookmakers, allowing them to place bets with certainty and ultimately, cash in. Through advanced technology, they gained access to live video signals from around the world, straight from stadiums, pitches and arenas. Intercepting these signals gave them a clear advantage on bookmakers, who were dependent on slower satellite feeds and relays for the same events.
The process was repeated across Asian and South American football leagues, UEFA Nations League, Bundesliga, Qatar 2022 World Cup matches and ATP and ITF tennis tournaments.
Despite collecting significant payouts, the group avoided detection by using a multitude of identities and accounts.
Among those arrested was a trader from a major bookmaker who, in collusion with the criminal group, would validate online bets placed by the criminal network.
Through its Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, INTERPOL worked closely with authorities throughout the investigation, fully mobilizing members of the INTERPOL Match-Fixing Task Force (IMFTF) and using the full range of the Organization’s global policing capabilities.
Three different INTERPOL Notices were published during the operation:
“Organized crime groups will exploit the tiniest of gaps given the opportunity. In this case, we’re talking about a 20 or 30 second advantage that led to significant gains,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.
“Successful operations such as the one led by Spain only reaffirm our engagement in ensuring our entire suite of Notices, databases and expert networks fully support police in closing these gaps,” concluded Mr Stock.
IMFTF specialists were also deployed to Spain to work alongside officers during house raids, facilitating the extraction and analysis of data from seized devices, cross-checking information across INTERPOL’s databases, helping track assets and money laundering channels.
Some 47 bank accounts and 28 payment gateways were blocked across several countries. Seizures included mobile phones, satellite dishes and signal receivers, cash and counterfeit banknotes, credit and debit cards, identification documents and prepaid SIM cards.
Additional arrests are anticipated as officers work to identify more members of the group, as well as athletes who accepted bribes.
The outcomes of the operation were presented this week to IMFTF members during their annual meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a dedicated session restricted to law enforcement.
Source: Europol
In 2020, law enforcement officers detected a number of suspicious online bets on international table tennis tournaments. Subsequent analysis led to the identification of a criminal network composed of Bulgarian and Romanian nationals, established in Spain, who were corrupting athletes mainly from these two same nationalities. The suspects targeted competitions mainly outside of Spain, while the leader of the organisation…
Source: US Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley spoke with United Kingdom’s Chief of the Defence Staff Adm. Sir Tony Radakin and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi on August 10th via video teleconference.
Source: US Defense Joint Chiefs of Staff
August 7, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C., — Joint Staff Spokesperson Col. Dave Butler provided the following readout:
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley spoke with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi today by phone.
They discussed the unprovoked and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and exchanged perspectives and assessments. The Chairman reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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