13-14 September 2023 - The CRIMJUST and EUROJUST meeting, part of the EMPACT High-Risk Criminal Networks (HRCN) Operative Action 8.6, focused on enhancing cooperation among prosecutors in Latin America and Europe, with the goal of combating high-risk criminal networks (HRCN), organized crime groups (OCGs), cybercrime, illegal migration, and illegal smuggling.
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The meeting was opened by Carmen Baena (Spanish Special Anti-Drug Prosecution Office) and Jose De la Mata (Chair, National Desk Spain), who highlighted the significance of the European Interdisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), a multi-year security initiative aimed at designing a safer Europe by combating various forms of organized crime. They emphasized the importance of addressing high-risk criminal networks and collaborating with member states through Memoranda of Understanding (MoU). Moreover, they underlined the significance of Operative Action 8.6 to get hold of criminal organizations by leveraging post-seizure investigations, establishing direct contact between prosecutors working on interrelated cases, and sharing best practices. Also, they promoted an amplification of knowledge so that Latin American evidence could be used in European investigations.
Angel Bodoque and Matías Alvarez from the Network of Ibero-American Anti-Drug Prosecutors (RFAI) emphasized the significance of operational actions aimed at promoting cooperation among prosecutors in Latin America. They stressed the need for direct collaboration to enhance the capabilities of prosecutors, enabling multi-jurisdictional investigations, prosecutions, and adjudications, highlighted the role of Eurojust in facilitating cooperation and called for the inclusion of additional stakeholders, particularly the Ibero-American Network of Prosecutors in Latin America. Finally, they expressed the network's commitment to expanding its efforts in the future.
Mario Hemmerling (CRIMJUST Global Coordinator) recalled UNODC’s key role in fostering international cooperation and presented UNODC’s global programme CRIMJUST, emphasizing that transnational organized crime compromises human rights and entrenches social and economic inequalities, loading the highest cost on the most vulnerable in our societies. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of targeting both the underlying drivers and the individuals who engage in organized crime. Finally, he offered CRIMJUST’s continued assistance through the organization of case forums.
The subsequent case forum and discussion on cooperation needs highlighted the necessity to strengthen the operational plan, exchange intelligence and data, and continue collaboration with alliances such as UNODC, CRIMJUST, and EMPACT. A multitude of transnational illicit trafficking cases was presented by Guatemala, Paraguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Honduras, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Spain, and Sweden, among others. This led to the identification of trafficking routes and organized crime networks among the participating States. Subsequently, direct contacts were established between the concerned prosecutors to allow for the fast transmittal of information and the strengthening of transnational investigations between Latin American and European countries affected by the same illicit trafficking routes.
The Global Programme on Criminal Network Disruption - CRIMJUST is funded by the European Union and by the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). It seeks to enhance law enforcement and judicial counter-narcotic strategies beyond interdiction activities and to foster transnational responses targeting each stage of the drug supply chain.
For more information, please visit:
- Global Illicit Flows Programme of the European Union (GIFP)
- Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL)