Timeframe: 11 June 2014 – 12 June 2014
Location: SELEC Headquarters
Description:Bucharest, June 12, 2014 – The 14th Meeting of the Anti-Fraud and Anti-Smuggling Task Force was organized in Bucharest/Romania on 11th-12th of June 2014, being attended by 50 participants from SELEC Members and partners (EUBAM, France, Germany, the Netherlands, RILO ECE, Spain and USA) as well as the private sector (British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris Trading).
During the two-day meeting, the 2013 SEE Tobacco Products Smuggling Situation Report Europe was presented, while the representatives of the Member States made interesting presentations on the successful joint investigations in region focusing on the new trends, modus operandi and smuggling routes.
Joint investigation “LA PIOVRA DEL PATRON” was a case in the field of cigarettes production and smuggling, money laundering, brand piracy, fraud etc., involving Republic of Moldova and Romania, which was initiated in December 2011 and investigated for more than two years. This joint investigation was awarded a first prize for the second semester of 2013 by SELEC Bi-Annual Awards Committee.
Joint investigation “BOS” among Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Republic of Turkey started in December 2012, targeting an organized crime group dealing with customs fraud, tax evasion, smuggling and money laundering. This operation was awarded a third prize for the second semester of 2013 by SELEC Bi-annual Awards Committee.
Third prize was awarded also to a joint investigation initiated in 2012 between Republic of Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, targeting an organized crime group in the field of smuggling of livestock.
On this occasion, there were presentations and discussions related to the Evaluation Report of Project “ANTS” on monitoring small seizures of cigarettes as well as the Evaluation Report of Operation “BLACK PEARL III” on illicit trade of petrol products.
EUBAM briefed the participants about the cigarettes smuggling trafficking situation in Transnistria, while RILO ECE presented the Evaluation Report on Operation “TROJAN HORSE III” on counterfeit goods.
A short overview on the outcome of the threat assessment on organized crime activities was also introduced to the participants raising awareness on the emerging trends and modus operandi in the fields covered by Anti-Fraud and Anti-Smuggling Task Force.
The participants pointed out the need to enhance the cooperation and to make best efforts in combating the criminal offences in this field for consolidating safety and security in the Southeast European region.
The Anti-Fraud and Anti-Smuggling Task Force is one of SELEC’s eight task forces, being established in 2003 and coordinated by Republic of Albania and Republic of Croatia.
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