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Joining forces to effectively combat drug crime
News Security 07 May 2024
Meeting of the Coalition of European countries against serious and organised crime in Hamburg. Talks on joint security measures at European ports and international networking in the fight against drug crime.
The third ministerial meeting of the Coalition of European countries against serious and organised crime took place on Tuesday, 7 May 2024 in Hamburg – the home of Germany’s largest port. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain are members of the Coalition.
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“We advocate for stronger action against trafficking in cocaine and other drugs, as well as greater international coordination. Drugs smuggled into Europe destroy people’s lives and generate huge profits for organised crime.”
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser
Representatives of Sweden, the European Commission, EUROPOL, EUROJUST and the World Shipping Council will also took part in the conference in Hamburg. The Hanseatic city of Hamburg was represented by Mayor Peter Tschentscher and Senator Andy Grote.
The main goal of the Coalition is to fight drug crime effectively. Manufacturing and trafficking drugs causes billions of euros in financial damage, devastates the environment in the countries of cultivation and leads to violence that costs many lives. Drug-trafficking networks and organisations are trying to infiltrate ports across the world. They recruit people with bribes and do not shy away from violence in their efforts to gain access to the port infrastructure.
Fighting drug crime effectively
At the conference in Hamburg, the participants discussed how their cooperation in the fight against international drug trafficking can be organised effectively and how it can have even more of an impact. One of the key issues discussed was the cooperation between public- and private-sector stakeholders in the field of port security.
Last October, the European Commission presented its Roadmap to fight drug trafficking and organised crime. The European Ports Alliance is one of the outcomes of this Roadmap. This alliance aims to bring together all relevant public- and private-sector stakeholders, especially bringing law enforcement and customs authorities together with port operators and shipping companies.
Federal Minister Faeser also invited representatives of South American countries to attend the conference. The aim is to expand international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking beyond the coordinated measures within the Coalition and Europe. This requires close coordination with the countries of cultivation and transit of illegal drugs, especially cocaine.
Hamburg Statement
At the ministerial conference, a joint declaration was adopted which provides for the following closely coordinated action:
- Dismantling criminal networks through methods including intensive financial investigations (follow-the-money approach) in order to disrupt the flows of criminal funds, detect criminals operating behind the scenes and identify organised crime structures.
- Cooperating closely on investigations with the countries of origin and transit in South America in order to effectively curb and combat drug crime in those countries and along the entire drug-trafficking supply chain. This requires information to be shared at an early stage and, where possible, joint investigations to be conducted under the rule of law.
- Strengthening logistical hubs through the European Ports Alliance, among other things, with strict inspection and security measures being implemented in order to effectively prevent drugs being imported into the European Union and to catch criminal organisations. This includes increasing prevention work to fight corruption within the companies that operate at the ports. Cooperation is to be strengthened between the customs and prosecution authorities and all other public- and private-sector stakeholders, shipping companies and terminal operators at the ports.
