EurojustAug 9, 2023

💶 #EconomicCrime such as swindling & fraud or money laundering represents the bulk of our casework.
💡 Did you know that we are also dealing with cases of corruption and crimes against the EU's financial interests?
More in our Annual Report:
👉 https://europa.eu/!WntptM
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1689183698535522304

3.4 Economic crime

Economic crime continued to be a major focus of Eurojust’s casework in 2022, covering investigations into a wide range of offences including swindling and fraud, money laundering, corruption and crimes against the financial interests of the European Union. Operational support to swindling and fraud cases As for the past 3 years, swindling and fraud remained the top crime type addressed by Eurojust in 2022, with 3 683 cases handled. In addition to more than 1 500 new cases, more than 2 000 ongoing cases from previous years were coordinated through the Agency. Eurojust dealt with more than 500 extra swindling and fraud cases in 2022 compared to 2021. During 2022, a large number of economic crime related coordination meetings (115) and JITs (72) were facilitated by Eurojust, as well as 6 action days. Investment fraud Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, criminals have increasingly defrauded victims via online trading platforms. This trend continued in 2022 as illustrated by the high number of investment fraud cases registered at Eurojust, and the rise in the number of victims impacted throughout the European Union. Multilateral investment fraud cases bring particular challenges and an increased need for judicial cooperation via Eurojust. The Agency can assist countries on legal issues concerning cross-border cases, including: centralising proceedings at national and international level; avoiding possible conflicts of jurisdiction; and prioritising the prosecution of common suspects. Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud In 2022, EUROJUST was co-leader for the first time, together with Sweden and Europol, in an EMPACT Operational Activity on Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud. Participants in this specialist group include 13 Member States, as well as Europol, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the European Commission’s DG Justice, with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) as an observer. MTIC fraud is detrimental to EU and national budgets, as well as complex to successfully investigate, prosecute and convict. Tackling this type of fraud is one of the aims of the EMPACT 2022–2025 priority on fraud, economic and financial crimes. Fraud against NextGenerationEU recovery funds Launched in 2021 and extended in 2022, operation SENTINEL is an EU-wide operation aimed at ensuring the lawful use of the NextGenerationEU recovery funds by detecting, investigating and prosecuting cross-border criminal activities such as fraud and money laundering. The operation was launched by Europol and involves Eurojust, EPPO, OLAF and 20 EU Member States. It aims to ensure that the EUR 806.9 billion budget is used to strengthen the EU economy rather than ending up in criminals’ bank accounts. Eurojust is dedicated to fully supporting this operation, particularly should cases emerge where the EPPO or competent national authorities seek the Agency’s assistance. Takedown of infrastructure of call centres involved in online investment fraud responsible for losses of at least EUR 20 million Crime: An international OCG commits online investment fraud by convincing victims online and by telephone to make payments to invest in cryptocurrencies. The OCG uses a large-scale IT infrastructure that includes tens of virtual servers, connected by computers in call centres. The perpetrators install remote access programmes that allow them to illegally access the victims’ computers and steal their banking credentials. More than 30 000 people from around 71 countries (with roughly 522 victims registered in Estonia alone) are defrauded of at least EUR 20 million. Action: Authorities in Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, France, Germany and Ukraine support a joint operation on 21 April 2022 to disrupt and paralyse the criminal activities of the OCG. Result: More than 50 servers are seized (taken down and data copied), in Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, France and Germany. Eurojust's Role: Eurojust facilitates judicial cooperation by setting up and funding a JIT. Two coordination meetings are organised to coordinate the national investigations and prepare for the action day. To support the action day, Eurojust sets up a coordination centre to enable rapid cooperation between the involved judicial authorities. Eurojust supports action against large-scale VAT fraud to the EU Crime: An OCG regularly smuggles large quantities of cigarettes produced in the United Arab Emirates to Hungary, committing large-scale VAT fraud. The estimated damage caused by the tax evasion to the European Union budget amounts to over EUR 8 750 000. Action: On 16 August 2022, a joint action day is supported by Eurojust and Europol, during which one suspect is arrested. International and European Arrest Warrants are issued against three more suspects still at large. Result: Authorities in Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland dismantle the criminal network. Over EUR 750 000 in several currencies, 7 high-value cars and 49 very high-value wristwatches are seized in Hungary. Eurojust's Role: The Agency actively facilitates cross-border judicial cooperation between the national authorities involved, including the execution of European Investigation Orders (EIOs) and the organisation of the joint action day. Operational support to money laundering cases As in previous years, money laundering remained among the top three crime types addressed by the Agency in 2022. Eurojust saw an increase in the number of cases, JITs, coordination meetings and actions days compared to the previous year. Eurojust's first money laundering report In October 2022, Eurojust published its first dedicated Report on Money Laundering. The report aims to support national authorities dealing with cross-border money laundering cases by providing an overview of the legal and practical challenges, as well as solutions, including the use of Eurojust's judicial cooperation tools. According to the report, almost 3 000 cross-border money laundering cases have been registered at Eurojust during the past 6 years. Since 2016, the number of cases brought to the Agency has been steadily rising. Given this large number of cases, the report focuses on certain selected topics: (i) predicate offence; (ii) complex money laundering schemes; (iii) financial and banking information; (iv) asset recovery; (v) cooperation with third countries; (vi) cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office; (vii) potential conflicts of jurisdiction and ne bis in idem issues; and (viii) spontaneous exchange of information.   Eurojust Report on Money Laundering Published: 20 October 2022 Read the report All EU Member States have been involved in international money laundering cases brought to Eurojust during the past six years, with Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands dealing with the largest number of cases. Over 60 third countries have also participated in such cases, with Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ukraine representing the non-EU states most involved. Based on Eurojust’s casework during the past six years, the report identifies the most relevant legal and practical challenges in this area, as well as the most relevant best practices for national authorities to learn from. Money laundering legislative package Throughout 2022, the legislative procedure for the package of four proposals to strengthen the European Union’s anti-money laundering and counter the financing of terrorism was ongoing. The aim of the package is to improve the detection of suspicious transactions and activities, and to close loopholes used by criminals to launder illicit proceeds or finance terrorist activities through the financial system. Several issues addressed by these proposals are analysed in Eurojust’s Report on Money Laundering. These include the identification of beneficial ownership of criminal assets, difficulties linked with the misuse of cryptocurrencies, and the role of asset recovery offices. View infographic in full size [PDF] Operational support to corruption cases In 2022, Eurojust supported 87 new corruption cases. The Agency continued to provide legal, operational and logistical support to 10 JITs, while also facilitating 14 coordination meetings and 2 successful action days. Eurojust's first corruption report In May 2022, Eurojust published its first dedicated publication in the corruption field: Eurojust’s Casework on Corruption: 2016–2021 Insights. During the report’s reference period, more than 500 corruption cases were registered at Eurojust. The report presents key findings based on Eurojust’s corruption casework and expertise built up over the years. It provides support to national authorities dealing with cross-border corruption cases by analysing challenges and proposing solutions.   Eurojust Casework on Corruption: 2016-2021 Insights Published: 5 May 2022 Read the report Eurojust is uniquely equipped to address the specific challenges of corruption cases through its judicial cooperation tools. Coordination through Eurojust has led to tangible results, including seizures, confiscations, arrests and convictions in complex cross-border corruption investigations and prosecutions worldwide. The top five Member States involved in corruption cases registered at Eurojust are Greece, Germany, Romania, Italy and Spain. Third countries also play a key role in Eurojust's corruption casework, with 42 third countries involved between 2016 and 2021. View infographic in full size [PDF] Operational support to PIF cases Protection of the financial interests of the European Union (PIF) crimes are crimes against the financial interests of the European Union, as defined by Directive 2017/1371 (PIF Directive). During 2022, Eurojust dealt with a slightly higher number of PIF crime cases compared to 2021. The Agency handled more than 200 cases and supported 4 investigation teams, 19 coordination meetings and 2 action days. Despite the EPPO starting operations in 2021, Eurojust is still competent in supporting PIF crime cases involving EU Member States not participating in the EPPO, and third countries, also on request of the EPPO. Moreover, the Agency is also competent in supporting all Member States (whether participating in the EPPO or not) in cross-border judicial cooperation on PIF-related crimes that fall outside the EPPO competence. In March 2022, Eurojust provided input based on its PIF crime casework to the European Commission’s study to support an implementation report on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests by means of criminal law. The study assesses the transposition and implementation of the PIF Directive and gathers statistics on relevant criminal offences. The second implementation report of the PIF Directive, based on this study, was published in September 2022.

Eurojust
EU Fundamental Rights ➡️ #HumaAug 7, 2023

RT Eurojust
📄 The #EuropeanArrestWarrant remains one of the key 🇪🇺 judicial cooperation instruments.
In 2022, we provided support & advice to nat'l authorities in 5⃣0⃣4⃣ new cases involving the EAW, from drafting to execution.
Details in our Annual Report:
https://europa.eu/!Xt8Yrm
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1688454028806574081

5.4 European Arrest Warrant

In 2022, 1 262 Eurojust cases (including 504 new and 758 ongoing from previous years) involved European Arrest Warrants (EAWs). The number of new cases involving EAWs increased slightly compared to the previous year.   Eurojust support to national authorities with the drafting and execution of EAWs During 2022, Eurojust continued to provide support and advice to national authorities across the full life cycle of the EAW, from drafting to the execution phase. Support was provided to (urgent) requests for additional information, advice in case of competing EAWs, questions on in absentia judgments and Petruhhin-related requests. In addition to providing support to cases, Eurojust’s Judicial Cooperation Instruments Team discussed legal issues emerging from Eurojust cases. They addressed, for instance, questions surrounding the detention of the requested person in the context of a postponement of a surrender or extradition. They also discussed the speciality rule in the context of surrender and extradition. Case law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the EAW   Case-law by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the European Arrest Warrant Published: December 2022 Read the report Throughout the year, the Agency monitored the relevant case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and in December 2022 published an overview. This latest edition includes summaries of six new judgments compared to the previous edition, touching upon issues such as the right to an independent tribunal previously established by law, the ne bis in idem principle, dual criminality and force majeure. Evaluating the application of the EAW The EAW was one of the key instruments evaluated in the 9th Round of mutual evaluations on mutual recognition of legal instruments in the field of deprivation or restriction of liberty. Between 2019 and 2022, Eurojust participated as an observer in the vast majority of evaluation visits organised, including five that took place in 2022. The final report on the ninth round of mutual evaluations was published by the Council in March 2022. It contains key recommendations addressed to Member States and EU institutions and agencies, aiming to further enhance the application of the EAW and other instruments addressed by the evaluations. High-level conference of French EU Presidency on 20 years of judicial cooperation and use of the European Arrest Warrant In February 2022, the French Ministry of Justice organised a high-level conference on the role the EAW plays in countering terrorism. During the first session moderated by Eurojust’s National Member for Spain, French and Belgian prosecutors specialised in counter-terrorism debated the use of the EAW since its introduction in 2004. The conference’s second session paid particular attention to the importance of the fundamental rights of suspects. High-level representatives from the Court of Justice, the European Bar Association and legal experts discussed how to maintain a good balance between maintaining guarantees for fundamental rights and ensuring the continued effectiveness of the warrant. Eurojust’s advice on competing EAWs and temporary surrender followed by executing court Crime: Belgium and Germany each issue EAWs against the same person, in relation to different acts of voluntary manslaughter. Both the German and the Belgian EAWs are for the purposes of prosecution. The requested person is in prison in France for the execution of a custodial sentence for other offences. Eurojust's role: In 2022, the General Prosecution Office of Paris requests Eurojust to provide an opinion on the priority to be given between the German and the Belgian EAWs, and to clarify legal issues related to a subsequent surrender. Judicial tool: Eurojust, applying its Guidelines for deciding on competing requests for surrender and extradition, advises, based on the specifics of the case, that priority should be given to the Belgian EAW. However, since the requested person is currently serving a custodial sentence in France, the competent French Court should also consider, after its decision to execute the Belgian EAW, a temporary surrender of the requested person to Belgium based on Article 24(2) EAW FD for the duration of the Belgian proceedings. The French court follows Eurojust’s advice to prioritise the Belgian EAW and agrees with the Belgian counterparts on a temporary surrender. The French and Belgian authorities also remain in close contact with the German authorities to ensure the execution of the German EAW at a later stage. Rapid arrest in Hungary via Eurojust of suspected killer of Argentinian rugby star 19 March 2022 - The former Argentinian rugby professional, Federico Martín Aramburú, who played for his national squad as well as several top-division teams in Scotland and France, is fatally wounded during a shooting in Paris. 22 March 2022 - The suspect, who had fled to Hungary heading for Ukraine, is held by the border police following a search warrant from French law enforcement authorities. 23 March 2022 - Via on-call coordination during the night, the French and Hungarian desks at Eurojust rapidly transmit the EAW issued by the judicial authorities in Paris in just a few hours, before the end of the legal preventive custody. Thanks to this overnight support from Eurojust, the alleged suspect of the murder is arrested in Hungary in the morning. 25 March 2022 - The Hungarian judge surrenders the suspect to the French authorities.

Eurojust
EurojustAug 3, 2023

👮‍♀️ In May 2022, two action days supported by #Eurojust resulted in the arrest of a suspected right-wing terrorist in 🇸🇰.
Just one out of 2⃣0⃣3⃣ #terrorism cases we dealt with last year. ✔️
Read in our Annual Report how we help in 🇪🇺 & beyond:
👉 https://europa.eu/!CwYtqq
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1686647071791591424

3.11 Terrorism

Operational support to terrorism cases Throughout 2022, Eurojust continued to coordinate and support complex cross-border investigations and prosecutions of terrorist offences in EU Member States. The Agency supported more than double the number of coordination meetings between national judicial authorities on terrorism cases compared to 2021. Based on the specific needs of each case, Eurojust provided efficient operational and legal assistance to investigations and prosecutions into terrorist attacks, alleged preparation of such attacks, financing of terrorism, recruitment and training to commit terrorist acts, and dissemination of terrorist propaganda. In addition to terrorist offences, some of these investigations and prosecutions also involved other crimes, including illicit trafficking in arms, ammunition and explosives; crimes against life, limb or personal freedom; drug trafficking; trafficking in human beings; and money laundering. Slovak and Czech authorities take action against right-wing terrorism Crime: A 22-year-old is suspected of committing several terrorist and extremist crimes, with the objective of publicly inciting the overthrow of the democratic political system. He shares photos of glorified far-right extremists, and publishes instructions for the production of weapons, explosives and mines, as well as guidelines on how to carry out sabotage attacks. Action: Two action days take place, supported by Eurojust, Europol, the United States, Slovak and Czech authorities: one on 11 May in Slovakia, where one location is searched, followed by a second on 23 May in the Czech Republic where another location is searched. Result: During the first action day in Slovakia, one suspect is arrested and a 3D printer, computer and other electronic devices are seized. During the second action day in the Czech Republic, a number of 3D-printed metal parts of weapons are seized. Eurojust's role: The Agency supported the authorities in Slovakia and the Czech Republic by setting up and funding a JIT into the case. One coordination meeting took place in Slovakia to share information, decide on a common strategy, and facilitate cooperation with the United States and Europol. The European Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register Through the Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register (CTR), Eurojust continued to receive a growing amount of information on ongoing and concluded judicial counter-terrorism proceedings from EU Member States. Set up at Eurojust in September 2019, the CTR is a unique operational tool that identifies links between judicial proceedings concerning terrorist offences. When such links are identified, Eurojust helps the national authorities of the affected EU Member States to discuss and agree on the necessary follow-up, and make use of the coordination tools offered by Eurojust. Through Eurojust, the CTR has triggered international cooperation and coordination that has led to successful prosecutions and convictions. However, the sharing of information on judicial counter-terrorism proceedings and the Eurojust case-management system needs to be further enhanced. Eurojust supported the EU institutions throughout the negotiation of the proposal to amend the Eurojust Regulation as regards the digital information exchange in terrorism cases. The proposal aims at rendering the exchange of information between the national competent authorities, Eurojust and the CTR more efficient. The Agency provided input concerning the operational benefits and concrete results achieved by the CTR’s implementation so far, as well as technical input on the proposed IT solutions. The co-legislators reached a provisional agreement in December 2022 which will: enhance Eurojust’s capacity to detect links between judicial terrorism cases; create a modern case management system (CMS) to store operational information and a secure digital communication channel between Member States and Eurojust; and simplify cooperation with third countries by granting liaison prosecutors seconded to Eurojust access to the CMS. The amendments are expected to be adopted in the course of 2023. The 2022 Eurojust Meeting on Counter-Terrorism The 2022 Eurojust Meeting on Counter-Terrorism brought together national correspondents for Eurojust for terrorism matters, specialised prosecutors from both EU Member States and partner third countries, as well as representatives from EU institutions and agencies, and international organisations. The meeting focused on operational experience with cases opened on the basis of information transmitted via the European Judicial Counter-Terrorism Register, cross-border investigations into the financing of terrorism, the impact of migrant smuggling on terrorism and various legal challenges in counter-terrorism proceedings. The main conclusions from these topics discussed are summarised below: The CTR - Eurojust’s CTR is considered to be a crucial tool to identify links between judicial counter-terrorism proceedings in Member States, and has already proven its operational benefits. The proposed amendments to the Eurojust Regulation will improve the CTR by bringing clarity as to the obligation of Member States to transmit information to Eurojust, the categories of data to be transmitted, the rules on data retention and the access to the Eurojust CMS at national level. Terrorism financing cases - In recent terrorism financing cases, mixed money transfer channels or methods have been used, shifting from regular money transfer providers to hawala, cryptocurrencies or PayPal. Therefore, the activation of international cooperation is extremely important in ensuring successful results in such cases. The impact of migrant smuggling on terrorism - The risk of possible exploitation of migration flows by members of terrorist groups and foreign terrorist fighters to attempt to enter the European Union undetected still exists. There is no evidence of terrorists using mixed migration flows systematically to move across the borders. However, people suspected of being linked to terrorism had been identified as travelling to and through the European Union using the services of criminal migrant trafficking networks. Battlefield evidence in terrorism and core international crime cases - Battlefield evidence is used effectively in terrorism cases and in cases in which terrorism and core international crimes are charged cumulatively. Increased use of battlefield evidence is considered essential and the work of Eurojust and the European Network for investigation and prosecution of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes on this subject matter remains important, also in light of the war in Ukraine. Hate crime and hate speech In April 2022, Eurojust hosted the French EU Presidency seminar on justice and internal security –‘Europe that protects’. One key round table was dedicated to the fight against online hate speech. The panellists presented the actions taken by Member States in this area, as well as the existing cooperation between judicial and law enforcement national authorities and dedicated EU agencies. Eurojust’s activities in supporting national authorities in their investigations and prosecutions of hate crime and hate speech were also presented. In 2022, Eurojust expressed its interest to become further involved in the activities steered by the European Commission to combat hate speech and hate crimes by joining the dedicated working groups on reporting and data collection, hate speech online and victim support.

Eurojust
EurojustAug 2, 2023

🚫 To #EndHumanTrafficking, countries need to join forces. We help national authorities do so.
In 2022, #Eurojust handled 3⃣4⃣2⃣ such cases.
🔎 42 joint investigation teams
👥 55 coordination meetings
🚨 4 action days
More in our Annual Report:
https://europa.eu/!Rdpftn
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1685557841430552576

3.9 Trafficking in human beings

Operational support to human trafficking cases Eurojust continued to assist national authorities with more than 300 human trafficking cases in 2022. This crime area saw an increase in the number of coordination meetings and action days organised by the Agency to help judicial authorities in Europe and beyond fight human trafficking. The level of prosecutions and convictions for human trafficking offences however remains low. The number of cases referred to the Agency and the number of JITs it supported slightly decreased in 2022 compared to 2021. There remain serious challenges in judicial cooperation, both at the national and cross-border levels, to effectively tackle this crime area. Eurojust actively encourages national authorities to refer more cases to the Agency to identify or trigger parallel criminal proceedings in the European Union and beyond. Eurojust can provide assistance with the coordination of such proceedings, the setting up of JITs, the successful prosecution of traffickers and the protection of victims. Action against criminal network dealing in human trafficking, pimping and money laundering Since 2012 - A criminal network is involved in the trafficking and sexual exploitation of human beings, pimping, child pornography, money laundering and forgery, generating an estimated EUR 3 million. The OCG allegedly recruits women in Romania and forces them into prostitution in the United Kingdom by advertising their services on escort sites. Profits are laundered through UK banks and transmitted back into Romanian bank accounts belonging to OCG members. One of the leaders of the criminal group is believed to have committed crimes of sexual intercourse with a minor and child pornography after recruiting a 17-year-old victim, having sex with her and recording pornographic material to blackmail her afterwards. The same leader allegedly attempts sexual corruption of minors by trying to persuade a family in a precarious economic situation to release a minor into his custody. June 2021 - The case is opened at Eurojust at the request of the Romanian authorities. August 2021 - The Agency supports the judicial and law enforcement authorities in Romania and the United Kingdom by setting up and funding a JIT. A first coordination meeting is supported by Eurojust to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts. April 2022 - A second coordination meeting is hosted by the Agency to prepare the joint action day. April 2022 - An action day takes place during which 9 suspects are found in 10 house searches in Romania. The suspects are called to the Prosecutor’s Office for hearings. Four cars with an approximate value of EUR 250 000, EUR 137 000 in cash, weapons and several electronic devices are seized. An order to seize EUR 1 million worth of assets is issued. In the United Kingdom, five suspects are arrested and six locations searched, in an operation involving the participation of a Romanian delegation. Drugs, weapons and money in cash are seized. November 2022 - An indictment is issued and 16 defendants are sent to court. The OCG is successfully dismantled. Commission proposes stronger rules to fight human trafficking Every year over 7 000 people become victims of human trafficking in the European Union, with many more victims remaining undetected. The yearly cost of this crime is EUR 2.7 billion, and the majority of victims are women and girls. In December 2022, the Commission proposed to strengthen the rules in the EU Anti-trafficking Directive that prevent and combat trafficking in human beings. Forms of exploitation have evolved in recent years, with the crime increasingly taking on an online dimension. Traffickers benefit from opportunities to use technology to recruit, control, transport and exploit victims, as well as move profits within the European Union and beyond. This evolution calls for the legislation to be updated. Eurojust contributed to the evaluation of the Directive, providing insights from its human trafficking casework and cooperation with national judicial authorities. The updated rules will provide stronger tools for law enforcement and judicial authorities to investigate and prosecute new forms of exploitation. For example, by making sure that knowingly using the services provided by victims of trafficking constitutes a criminal offence. The Commission's proposal replaces the optional sanctions regime with a regime of mandatory sanctions against companies and other legal persons held liable for trafficking offences. It also aims to improve procedures for early identification and support for victims in Member States, including through the appointment of national focal points for the cross-border referral of victims to enhance transnational cooperation. Eurojust assists Hungary and Switzerland in dismantling human trafficking network Since 2017 - A criminal network is involved in trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The victims are young Hungarian women from underprivileged backgrounds. The suspects allegedly send the victims to Switzerland where they are forced to enter into prostitution. The victims are under the permanent control of the perpetrators. 2021 - Investigations are carried out separately in Switzerland and Hungary. January 2022 - The case is opened at Eurojust at the request of the Swiss authorities, in order to help prosecutors and investigators connect the relevant information and initiate effective cooperation between the two countries. March – October 2022 - Two coordination meetings are hosted by Eurojust to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts. During the coordination meetings, the Agency ensures a common understanding of the network’s criminal activities, as well as the difference in the provisions of the national legislation on MLA. June 2022 - The Agency supports judicial and law enforcement authorities in Hungary and Switzerland in setting up a JIT to pursue the case. 22 November 2022 - During a joint action day, witness hearings of three potential victims of the criminal group are carried out by the Hungarian law enforcement agency. Four suspects are arrested, two in Hungary and two in Switzerland. Two house searches are carried out in Hungary and another two in Switzerland. A high-value vehicle, HUF 3 million (approximately EUR 7 300) and CHF 2 000 (approximately EUR 2 000) in cash, jewellery, cell phones, electronic devices and 7 real estate properties are seized in Hungary. War in Ukraine triggers an increased risk of human trafficking To protect people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the EU Solidarity Platform adopted a tailor-made Common Anti-Trafficking Plan to address the risks of trafficking in human beings and support potential victims. The EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator developed the Plan together with Member States and EU agencies, including Eurojust. The Common Anti-Trafficking Plan aims to better coordinate EU actions for welcoming people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It builds on the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings and is aligned with the EU Anti-trafficking Directive. Amongst its goals, are the need to enhance the judicial and law enforcement response to human trafficking, reinforce prevention, and improve the identification, support and protection of human trafficking victims. These goals are being pursued through concrete actions at EU level and through recommendations to EU countries. The Common Plan refers to Eurojust’s crucial role in assisting human trafficking investigations at an early stage by facilitating cross-border judicial cooperation at the EU level and with Ukrainian judicial authorities. Furthermore, it recommends law enforcement and judicial authorities in Member States to cooperate and systematically exchange data with Eurojust on investigations related to the war in Ukraine. Following the adoption of this Plan, Eurojust disseminated and regularly updated an Information Note for national competent authorities on the increased risk of human trafficking triggered by the war in Ukraine. The Note helped to raise awareness, and encouraged national authorities to exchange information and open human trafficking investigations on suspicion of the exploitation of Ukrainian refugees, in particular with respect to unaccompanied minors. The Note offered Eurojust’s availability to assist such investigations at the earliest possibility, and to enhance the exchange of information as well as speed up judicial cooperation, including with Ukrainian authorities. First meeting of the new Focus Group of prosecutors specialised in human trafficking The first meeting of the newly established Focus Group of specialised prosecutors against trafficking in human beings took place in June 2022. The meeting was co-organised by Eurojust and the European Commission, with the participation of prosecutors and investigative judges from across the Member States. The objective of the group is to build expertise and intensify judicial cooperation, as outlined in the EU Strategy on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings.   Over the years, Eurojust has been active in providing the necessary support and assistance to prosecutors dealing with trafficking cases to ensure effective judicial cooperation and coordination in this field. I am confident that creating a forum for practitioners, allowing them to communicate directly, and exchange best practices, knowledge and expertise with the appropriate resources and support will result in more successful investigations, prosecutions and, finally, convictions in this crime area. Daniela Buruiana, Chair of the Eurojust Anti-Trafficking Working Group and National Member for Romania, at the Focus Group meeting of specialised prosecutors against trafficking in human beings Participants discussed the challenges prosecutors face when addressing human trafficking cases at the national and cross-border levels. Enhancing the judicial response to human trafficking cases linked to the war in Ukraine was another key topic of discussion. A robust criminal justice response is crucial to carrying out effective investigations, prosecutions and convictions. The Focus Group will work towards ensuring this. Expert meeting on the trafficking of surrogate mothers and their children In October 2022, Eurojust co-organised an expert meeting on surrogacy arrangements, together with Bulgarian and Czech national judicial authorities. The meeting raised awareness in all Member States on the potential for human trafficking in international surrogacy arrangements and allowed for the exchange of information on relevant legislation, criminal cases and issues encountered by each country. Eurojust contributed to the expert meeting with lessons learned from its support in a complex case involving the trafficking of surrogate mothers.

Eurojust
EurojustAug 2, 2023

💡 #WarCrimes, #CrimesAgainstHumanity and #Genocide are collectively known as Core International Crimes.
↗️ The number of new CIC cases more than tripled in 2022 compared to 2021.
📙 Read about #Eurojust's enhanced role in our Annual Report:
👉 https://europa.eu/!qktTd8
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1685993193379102720

2. Eurojust’s enhanced role in fighting core international crimes

2.1 Operational support to investigating and prosecuting core international crimes Eurojust provided operational support to 35 core international crime cases in 2022, involving 38 countries[1]. The Agency also supported 2 joint investigation teams (JITs) involving 10 countries[2], and 23 coordination meetings involving 36 countries[3]. Since 2016, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes (known collectively as core international crimes), have steadily risen within the European Union. Overall, the number of newly opened cases in Member States increased by 44% between 2016 and 2021 . Since the formal addition of core international crimes to Eurojust’s portfolio in 2019, the number of cases supported by the Agency has also increased. Compared to 2021, the total number of core international crime cases handled by the Agency more than doubled in 2022, while the number of new cases more than tripled. Eurojust support to joint investigation team targeting crimes against Yezidi victims in Syria and Iraq Crime: During the armed conflict in Syria and Iraq, core international crimes are committed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) against the civilian population, including the Yezidi community. Action: The judicial authorities in Sweden and France set up a JIT in October 2021 to identify the FTFs who perpetrated these crimes, in view of potential prosecution. In October 2022, the Belgian judicial authorities join the JIT. Identifying the victims and witnesses of these crimes committed in Syria and Iraq, is currently a focus of the JIT. The authorities involved in the JIT are cooperating with the United Nations Investigative Team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant pursuant to its mandate. The JIT members are also working with the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the investigation and prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law committed in the Syrian Arab Republic. Both organisations hold a significant amount of evidence and expertise in investigating core international crimes in the region, which may be crucial in establishing the crimes committed. JIT members are closely cooperating with the judicial authorities also in other states (among others Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and US). Result: The investigative efforts of the JIT are ongoing. The results will benefit the judiciary in other EU Member States or third countries, who want to end the impunity of FTFs involved in core international crimes, such as slavery or sexual violence against members of the Yezidi community. So far, two arrest warrants (one in absentia) have been issued as a result of the investigation. Eurojust's Role: The Agency’s support to the JIT will enable the long-term coordination of investigations and the swift sharing of information and evidence. The joint efforts will also avoid multiple interviews of the same victims, who have lived through dire circumstances. Eurojust has assisted in the organisation of four coordination meetings in 2022. The Agency is assisting JIT countries in determining the most suitable jurisdiction for prosecution and advising on the prevention of multiple legal actions against perpetrators for the same offence. [1] France (19), Ukraine (18), Germany (10), Belgium (9), Sweden (9), Netherlands (7), Lithuania (6), the United Kingdom (6), Ireland (5), Latvia (5), Poland (5), Slovakia (5), Spain (5), United States (5), Estonia (4), Italy (4), Norway (4), Serbia (4), Austria (3), Croatia (3), Czech Republic (3), Finland (3), Hungary (3), Romania (3), Switzerland (3), Bulgaria (2), Cyprus (2), Denmark (2), Greece (2), Luxembourg (2), Malta (2), Portugal (2), Slovenia (2), Albania (2), Georgia (2), Montenegro (2), North Macedonia (2), Canada (1) [2] France, Ukraine, Belgium, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia and Romania [3] Ukraine (17), Lithuania (13), Poland (13), France (12), Belgium (8), Sweden (8), Latvia (8), Slovakia (8), Estonia (8), Ireland (7), Germany (6), Netherlands (6), Romania (5), the United Kingdom (5), the United States (5), Norway (4), Spain (3), Czech Republic (3), Switzerland (3), Canada (3), Italy (2), Serbia (2), Austria (2), Hungary (2), Cyprus (2), Denmark (2), Greece (2), Portugal (2), Slovenia (2), North Macedonia (2), Croatia (1), Finland (1), Bulgaria (1), Malta (1), Albania (1), Georgia (1) [4] According to case statistics compiled by the Genocide Network Secretariat on a yearly basis.

Eurojust
EurojustJul 27, 2023

📊 Which crime types has #Eurojust dealt with in the past year?
💶 Swindling & fraud top the list, again.
💊 Drug trafficking comes second, changing position with money laundering.
Find all the latest statistics & trends in our Annual Report 👉 https://europa.eu/!c9xfTg
#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1684109593990017025

3. Key cases and developments by crime type

3.1 Overview of Eurojust-referred cases by crime type in 2022 During 2022, Eurojust dealt with more than 11 500 cases across 13 categories of serious cross-border crime, ranging from trafficking in human beings and drugs to terrorism and cybercrime. The top three crime types handled by the Agency in 2022 continued to be swindling and fraud, drug trafficking and money laundering. More than half of all cases that Eurojust worked on in 2022 involved one of these crime types. Over 3 500 cases in total focused on swindling and fraud crimes, while just over 2 000 cases dealt with drug trafficking and almost another 2 000 cases with money laundering. In addition to supporting an increasing number of ongoing cases from previous years across all crime types, there was an increase compared to 2021 in the number of new cases brought to Eurojust in six crime areas: swindling and fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, mobilised organised crime groups (OCGs), intellectual property crime (IPC) and core international crimes. In particular, the number of new core international crime cases opened by the Agency in 2022 more than tripled compared to 2021. Crime types dealt with in Eurojust-referred cases in 2022   A single investigation can fall into several crime categories. Crime type Ongoing cases New cases Swindling and fraud 1 655 2 028 Drug trafficking 1 061 1 054 Money-laundering 690 1 192 MOCG 398 463 Cybercrime 173 269 THB 124 281 Migrant smuggling 132 191 Corruption 87 224 PIF 112 151 Terrorism 53 150 Environmental crime 14 41 Intelectual Property crime 19 20 Core Internnational Crimes 26 9

Eurojust
EurojustJun 26, 2023

💊💉 Today's International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking underlines the importance of action & cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
Read in our recently published Annual Report how we help to make this happen:
👉 https://europa.eu/!tw6M8N
#EJ22AR https://t.co/g2P0hEZlC4

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1673226292781621248

3.3 Drug trafficking

Operational support to drug trafficking cases Drug trafficking was one of the top two crime types dealt with by the Agency in 2022. Eurojust handled more than 2 000 cases, including 1 054 ongoing cases from the previous year, in addition to 1 061 new cases. This all-time high is partly due to a particularly steep increase in cocaine and synthetic drug cases opened at the Agency in 2022. Eurojust facilitated the seizure of drugs worth almost EUR 12 billion in 2022, including more than 800 000 kg of synthetic drugs and more than 120 000 kg of cocaine. During 2022, the Agency provided significant judicial assistance to national authorities on several high-profile cases against organised crime groups dealing in drug trafficking across different continents. Compared to 2021, there was an increase in the number of JITs, coordination meetings and action days facilitated by Eurojust to tackle cross-border drug trafficking cases in 2022. 45 arrests in crackdown on Albanian-speaking criminals flooding Europe with cocaine Crime: The suspects import cocaine from Latin America to various European ports, organising transport via planes, vessels, cars and lorries. The high-level criminal network runs the wholesale trade of the drugs and sets up a string of enterprises to launder the profits in various countries, including Spain and Croatia. Its members travel regularly to Dubai, Mexico and Colombia to arrange their illegal business and use encrypted communication tools to coordinate activities. Action: During an action day supported by Eurojust and Europol, over 600 law enforcement officers in close cooperation with prosecutors and investigative officers carry out raids against the members of the criminal network. Over 80 places are searched in Spain and Belgium, and 45 suspects are arrested. These include a number of high-value targets, investigated in multiple high-profile cases in different jurisdictions. Parallel actions also take place in Croatia, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Result: As a result of the international operation involving judicial and law enforcement authorities in seven countries, one of Europe's most active Albanian-speaking cocaine trafficking networks is dismantled. Eurojust's Role: The Agency sets up a coordination centre to enable rapid cooperation between the judicial authorities involved in the action day. Eurojust and Europol support a JIT set up between Belgium and Spain in 2021. Drug trafficking cases involving third countries In 2022, the Agency handled a number of large-scale investigations involving third countries, with the valuable support of the concerned Liaison Prosecutors from these countries posted at Eurojust. As cross-border investigations become ever more complex and demanding from the judicial cooperation perspective, Eurojust’s support in such drug trafficking cases proved to be vital for the success of coordinated operations across Europe and beyond. Investigations in cross-border drug trafficking cases benefit significantly from the presence of Liaison Prosecutors from third countries, posted at Eurojust. This is confirmed by the growing number of cases, coordination meetings and JITs involving third countries, facilitated by the Agency. Judicial cooperation with these countries is particularly important in Eurojust’s drug trafficking casework, as illustrated by the case illustrations in this section. Due to the growing importance of Latin America as a region of origin in a high number of drug trafficking cases, increased cooperation with these countries is paramount to enabling judicial practitioners to better coordinate prosecution strategies. In October 2022, Eurojust attended a meeting of the Bi-regional Operational Working Group on Drugs in Buenos Aires, organised by the Europe Latin America Programme of Assistance against Transnational Organised Crime (EL PAcCTO) and the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (Narcotics). This marked an important step towards closer judicial cooperation with South American countries and networks in the future. Such cooperation, including supporting the setting up of more JITs, is essential to the success of investigations related to the dismantling of criminal organisations dedicated to drug trafficking. Serbian-led drug smuggling network halted in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands Crime: The OCG traffics cocaine from South America via the Netherlands and Belgium to Germany and the United Kingdom. To conceal this criminal activity, the OCG replaces concrete panels legally acquired in Luxembourg with similar self-produced versions, in which they hide the cocaine. Action: An action day, coordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol, is carried out on 26 November. Seven members of the Serbian-led drug trafficking network are arrested simultaneously in four countries. Four suspects are arrested in the Belgian town of Arlon where the hiding of the drugs took place. The three other members of the OCG are arrested in Serbia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands on the same day. Result: 22 concrete panels are seized, each containing several packages of drugs, amounting to approximately 115 kilograms of cocaine. Eurojust's Role: Eurojust organises several coordination meetings to prepare for the action day. The Agency provides judicial assistance to the national authorities involved and coordinates the operation. Eurojust’s contribution to fighting drug trafficking at EU level During 2022, Eurojust continued to contribute to the implementation of the EU Drugs Action Plan for 2021–2025. The Agency carried out its casework in this area in line with the actions set out in the Council Roadmap to combat drug trafficking, adopted in June 2022. Throughout 2022, Eurojust also actively contributed to the two drug-related Operational Action Plans of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), by representing the judicial cooperation perspective in a significant number of Operational Actions. Furthermore, the Agency continued its strong cooperation with Europol, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and the Council of Europe, to ensure effective alignment and greater impact in this area.

Eurojust
EurojustMay 24, 2023

⚖️ In just 365 days, #Eurojust

🔎 handled >11.500 cases
❤️‍🩹 helped bring justice to >300.000 crime victims
🇺🇦 became a pillar of the #EU accountability efforts for #Ukraine

Find these & many other developments in our 🆕 Annual Report!

Out now 👉 https://europa.eu/!dYdc6m

#EJ22AR

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/Eurojust/status/1661297851211677697

Eurojust steps up its role in fighting war crimes, says Agency’s Annual Report 2022

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Eurojust’s role in fighting core international crimes was significantly enhanced in 2022, says the Agency’s Annual Report, published today. Just weeks after the outbreak of the war, the Agency provided essential support to the set-up of a joint investigation team (JIT) into alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Subsequently, Eurojust’s mandate was rapidly extended to allow the Agency to store and analyse evidence on core international crimes. By the end of the year, the European Commission asked Eurojust to host the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA).

Eurojust