Timeframe: 23 May 2013
Location: SELEC Headquarters
Description:
BUCHAREST, 21st – 22nd of May 2013 – The 19th Meeting of Anti-Drug Trafficking Task Force was organised by SELEC on 21st – 22nd of May 2013 in Bucharest/ Romania with the purpose to evaluate the last year’s achievements in the field of combating trans-border drug trafficking as well as to discuss the future activities.
The meeting witnessed the participation of 70 law enforcement representatives from all SELEC Member States, and also delegates from Belgium, CARICC, EUBAM, France, Germany, United Kingdom, ILECUs, INTERPOL, Italy, the Netherlands, PCC-SEE, UNODC and USA, as well as the representatives of the EU project “Heroin Route II – Information Networks”.
At the 19th Meeting of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Task Force, the participants from the Member States presented successful cases, as well as new trends, modus operandi, smuggling routes and investigative methods in the area of drug trafficking.
At the same time, the 2012 Draft Report on Drug Seizures in South Eastern Europe and also 2012 Anti-Drug Trafficking Task Force activities overview on data exchange, joint investigations and controlled deliveries coordinated by SELEC were presented during the meeting.
CARICC made a presentation on 2012 drug trafficking situation in Central Asian region, while UNODC representatives introduced the preliminary findings of Afghan Opiate Trade Monitoring Project’s global update report on heroin and drug trafficking with a specific focus on Southeast Europe, introducing also the UNODC platform on mapping drug seizures worldwide and the UNODC/WCO Container Control Programme. There were presentations from EUBAM and INTERPOL as well.
The Evaluation Report of the Operation “HERMET” was also presented and discussed on this occasion. The Operation “HERMET” was carried out during 22nd – 26th of October 2012 and focused on combating Southwest Asian heroin and methamphetamine bound for Central and Western Europe by land touring vehicles along the Balkan Route through its various branches. The general aim of the operation was the interdiction and seizure of drugs within the region as well as identification of organized crime groups involved in drug smuggling activities.
The meeting was supported by both SELEC and the EU project “Heroin Route II – Information Networks”, the latter facilitating the participation of 27 delegates, including those from INTERPOL, CARICC, the PCC-SEE and the ILECUs from the Balkan countries.
The Project on “Information Networks along the Heroin Route” is financed under Phase II of the programme “Fight against organised crime and drug trafficking along the Heroin Routes”, by the European Union’s Instrument for Stability (IfS)1, in the framework of Article 4.1 of that regulation2, and implemented by a consortium led by FIIAPP3. The aim of the project is to promote regional and trans-regional co-operation, helping law enforcement along the route to develop future operational strategies against heroin trafficking.
The participants at the 19th Meeting of the Anti-Drug Trafficking Task Force, held in Bucharest, underlined the importance of future cooperation in the field of fighting against drug trafficking and agreed on strengthening the commitment and stepping up action in this direction.
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1. IfS: Regulation (EC) No. 1717/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an Instrument for Stability (OJ L 327, 24.11.1006, p. l)
2. Long-term actions, priority 2, IfS, Article 4.2. “threats to law and order, to the security and safety of individuals, to critical infrastructure and to public health”.
3. Fundación Internacional y para Iberoamérica de Administración y Políticas Públicas (www.fiiapp.org)
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