troels oerting assistant director, europol transatlantic ... · troels oerting assistant director,...

Plenary session 1

Troels OertingAssistant Director, Europol

Transatlantic SymposiumLisbon, Portugal

17-19/05/11

The threat – an EU perspective

2011 OCTA

Layout of the Presentation

• Criminal Hubs

• Organised Criminal Groups

• Trends & Threats

• Needed Response

Hubs and feeders

5

North-West Criminal hub (1)

Centre of gravity – The Netherlands, Belgium• Principal EU centre for drug production:

o Synthetic drug production, especially ecstasy (MDMA)o Herbal cannabis production

• Principal EU coordination centre for drug distribution:o Heroin from the Balkan Routeo Cocaine from Latin America – stockpilingo Qat for Somali diaspora in Northern Europeo Export of expertise – cannabis grow shops and drug synthesiso Illicit drug exchange – heroin for synthetics, etc.

• Coordination centre for final stage of illegal immigration to destinations including the UK and Nordic countries.

• Transit point for trafficking in human beings from MS and from outside the EU.

• Sea ports are entry points for counterfeit goods – largest volumes through Rotterdam, also Hamburg and Bremen.

• Waste, including toxic waste, e-waste and deregistered vehicles, is trafficked to West Africa and Asia via sea ports in North West Europe.

6


Facilitating Factors• Proximity to the most profitable destination markets – the UK,

Germany, France, Nordic countries• Well developed commercial and passenger transport – container

ports and airports• Production capacity (synthetics and herbal cannabis)• Established diaspora communities with links to drug sources

Prominent OCG clusters• Turkish origin, including 2nd/3rd generation EU nationals (heroin)• Dutch (heroin, synthetics, herbal cannabis)• Moroccan origin, including 2nd/3rd generation EU nationals (heroin,

cannabis resin)• Lithuanian (especially synthetics and cocaine)

7


Inter-hub dynamics• Lithuanian groups transport cocaine from Latin America via West

Africa and the South West and North West hubs, and supply amphetamine precursors (BMK)

• Heroin from the SE and, to a lesser extent, SW hubs• Cocaine from the SE hub, and to and from the S hub• Synthetics, especially ecstasy and amphetamine, to Turkey and the

Middle East via the SE hub• Herbal cannabis exported to the NE hub and Russian Federation• Flows of trafficked human beings to and from other criminal hubs

Emerging issues• Increasing use of light aircraft to traffic drugs, cash, firearms and

precious stones• Expansion of hub to parts of Germany (cannabis cultivation, sea

ports, etc.)

8

Centre of gravity – Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Kaliningrad exclave (Russia)Focus for transit of illicit commodities to and from the FSU:• Drug trafficking

o Heroin from the Black Sea Route via Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine

o Transit point for cocaine supply via the EU to the Russian Federationo Supplier of synthetic drug precursors (e.g. BMK) to EU producerso Trafficking of amphetamine and ecstasy to the Russian Federation and

Nordic countrieso Synthetic drug production for EU and FSU markets (amphetamine and

methamphetamine)• Transit point for FSU and Asian illegal immigrants en route to EU MS• Source of victims of trafficking in human beings for exploitation in other

MS• Origin of payment card fraud offences committed in the EU• Transit point for genuine smuggled and ‘cheap white’ cigarettes from the

Kaliningrad exclave; location also of illegal cigarette factories

North-East Criminal hub (1)

9


Facilitating Factors• Proximity to the FSU, source of illicit commodities and precursor

chemicals, and cocaine and heroin markets• Commercial transport infrastructure, especially the sea ports of

Kaliningrad and Klaipeda• Considerable resources available to indigenous, particularly

Lithuanian, criminal groups• Russian as a criminal lingua franca

Prominent OCG clusters• Lithuanian – multi-commodity, with an international reach, often

displaying high levels of violence; cooperation with Albanian speaking OCGs in trafficking heroin from Central Asia to WesternEurope

• Estonian – armed robberies in MS; distribution of counterfeit euros

10


Inter-hub dynamics• Lithuanian groups are engaged in cocaine transport from Latin

America via West Africa and the South West and North West hubs; they also supply amphetamine precursors (BMK) to the North West hub

• Herbal cannabis is imported from the North West hub• Historically involved in counterfeit euro production, Lithuanian groups

now source counterfeits from producers in the Southern hub

Emerging issues• Use of small utility aircraft to facilitate illegal immigration and to

traffic synthetic drugs and victims of THB for sexual exploitation across the eastern borders of the EU

• With Estonia’s adoption of the euro on 1st January 2011 it is expected that counterfeit distributors such as Lithuanian OC groups will take advantage of Estonians’ relative lack of familiarity with the new currency

11

South-East Criminal hub (1)

Centre of gravity – Bulgaria, Romania and Greece

• Heroin travels from the Black Sea Route via Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine to Romania. Bulgaria the most targeted EU entry point for heroin from the overland Balkan Routes. Consignments then cross the Adriatic via Greece or pass through the Western Balkans

• Cocaine via the Balkan Routes or Adriatic and Black Sea ports; transit point for maritime shipments from Latin America, overland trafficking from West Africa via the Balkan Routes, and cocaine destined for Italian OCGs.

• Large scale amphetamine production for the Middle East market

• Indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation for EU markets

• Focus for illegal immigration to the EU, especially at the Turkish/Greek border

• Has historically provided THB victims for exploitation in other MS, especially children for sexual exploitation and use in criminal offences, and facilitates the transit and distribution of victims from outside the EU.

• Increased engagement in payment card fraud, especially in Bulgaria

• Increased transport of ‘cheap white’ cigarettes along the Balkan Routes; subsequent storage in Greece

• Prominent in the production of counterfeit euros

• Laboratories for counterfeit documents

• Transit point for weapons from the Western Balkans

12


Prominent OCG clusters• Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMCGs): in recent years, Hells Angels

Motorcycle Club (HAMC) has established charters in the region• Albanian-speaking criminal groups supply cannabis to South East

Europe, and traffic heroin and cocaine through the region• Roma and other itinerant OCGs traffic women for sexual

exploitation, and children for sexual exploitation and use in property offences

Facilitating Factors• Situation at the convergence of North-South and East-West

trafficking routes• Proximity to criminal logistics and groups in the Western Balkans

and the FSU• Commercial transport infrastructure on the Black Sea, Adriatic and

Mediterranean

13


Inter-hub dynamics• Drugs: heroin and cocaine transit the region en route to the Southern

and North West hubs; synthetics, especially ecstasy, transit en route to Middle Eastern markets

• Illegal immigrants destined for the North East hub pass through the South Eastern EU border

• Increasing trans-hub movements of victims of THB from Bulgaria and Romania to Germany and the Nordic countries by Roma OCGs, amongst others

• Toxic waste is trafficked to the SE hub from the S hub

Emerging issues• Convergence of several trafficking routes is creating a bottleneck for

illicit commodities in Hungary• The planned accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen Zone

will potentially release the pressure of illegal immigration on the Turkish-Greek border

14

Southern Criminal hub (1)

Facilitating Factors• Indigenous OC groups – considerable resources, high levels of

cohesion and international reach• Commercial and passenger transport infrastructure – sea and

airports• Proximity to the Balkan Routes for illicit commodities

Centre of gravity – Southern Italy• Distribution centre for cocaine from Latin America• Landing and transit zone for illegal immigration, especially from

the South East hub (Greece)• Entry point, transit zone and location of sexual and labour

exploitation of trafficked human beings• Principal location for the production of counterfeit euros• Key distribution point for counterfeit goods• Base for some of the most powerful and best resourced criminal

groups active in the EU

15


Prominent OCG clusters• Italian, including:

• ‘Ndrangheta – drug and weapons trafficking, extortion, infiltration and control of public contracts, money laundering and reinvestment of criminal proceeds to acquire entrepreneurial companies and business enterprises, property crime, crimes against persons and offences relating to illegal immigration

• Apulian (including Sacra Corona Unita) - crimes against persons, drug trafficking, extortion, usury, property crime, counterfeiting, money laundering, infiltration of public contracts, cigarette smuggling, illegal gambling

• Camorra - international drug trafficking, extortion, usury, counterfeiting, illegal gambling, infiltration of public contracts, reinvestment of illicit funds to acquire entrepreneurial companies and business enterprises, illegal waste management

• Cosa Nostra - infiltration of public contracts, extortion, reinvestment of criminal proceeds to acquire entrepreneurial companies and business enterprises, illicit drug trafficking, usury, property crime, crimes against persons

• Chinese - illegal entry of counterfeit goods through the Italian ports is facilitated by close cooperation between Chinese and Italian OC groups. Both Camorra and ‘Ndrangheta have established extensive contacts with Chinese OC groups importing counterfeits; facilitation of illegal immigration; property crime (robbery and extortion); drug trafficking.

• Albanian speaking – cooperating with Apulian crime groups in drug trafficking, key drug supplier to ‘Ndrangheta, and active in trafficking of women for sexual exploitation

• Nigerian – THB for sexual exploitation, facilitation of illegal immigration, drug trafficking (cocaine, heroin and cannabis), payment card fraud, property crime, illegal exportation of currency

16


Inter-hub dynamics• Transport of illegal immigrants from the SE to the S hub • Toxic waste is trafficked to the South East hub from the Southern hub• Counterfeit euros produced in the Southern hub are supplied in

particular to criminal groups active in the North East, South East and South West hubs

Emerging issues• Heroin trafficking by means of container shipment direct to

Mediterranean ports from Iran and Pakistan• The establishment of violent street gangs originating from Latin

America. Gangs such as the Latin Kings are cooperating with their Latin American affiliates with the aim of developing their role in cocaine trafficking to the EU

• Apulian OC’s increasing involvement in drug trafficking has led to it adopting a more cooperative stance towards non-indigenous OC groups. On this basis it now has the potential to increase its international reach

17

South-West Criminal hub (1)

Centre of gravity – Spain and Portugal• Leading role in cocaine and cannabis resin transit, storage and

distribution• Increasingly a transit zone for heroin from South West Asia• Consistent flow of illegal immigration from Latin America; reduced

flow from North Africa• Transit zone and location of sexual and labour exploitation of

trafficked human beings• Entry point for counterfeit goods, especially textiles

Facilitating Factors• Commercial and passenger transport infrastructure – especially sea

container and air freight• Cultural links with Latin America and West Africa• Proximity to North African trafficking routes

18


Prominent OCG clusters• Spanish and Portuguese – cocaine and cannabis resin trafficking,

exploiting cultural ties with Latin America and proximity to North Africa

• Criminal groups of mixed nationality or ethnicity (Colombian/Spanish, Spanish/Moroccan, Colombian/Moroccan, Spanish/Romanian, Spanish/British) so structured for the effective management of different stages in drug or human trafficking chains

• Dominican Republic – cocaine trafficking and violent crime (kidnapping); assessed to have a high growth potential.

• Romanian – THB for sexual exploitation• West African – cocaine trafficking, distribution of counterfeit euros and

THB for sexual exploitation• Italian – bank robberies with firearms• Russian/Georgian – illegal immigration, identity document

counterfeiting and money laundering, extortion• Pakistani – heroin trafficking• Turkish – heroin trafficking

19


Inter-hub dynamics• Cocaine and heroin transit the region en route to the North West hub

in particular• Counterfeit euros produced in the Southern hub are supplied to

criminal groups active in the South West hub

Emerging issues• Increased cocaine trafficking via the Balkan Routes and increased

demand from Russian and Chinese market may impact upon supply through the South West hub

• The establishment of violent street gangs originating from LatinAmerica.

• Increased use of light aircraft for drug trafficking from Morocco to the Iberian peninsula

• Turkish OC activity in Morocco may point to a greater role for the South West hub in heroin trafficking in the future


• Criminal Hubs



• Needed Response

Criminal Groups: Distribution

Albanian Speaking OCGs

Main criminal activities

• Poly-drug activities (Heroin, Cocaine, Synthetic and Cannabis); Facilitation of illegal immigration; Distribution of counterfeitbanknotes; Weapons trafficking; Property crimes

Common characteristics

• International dimension (expatriate communities); Family/clan based structure; High capacity to use violence (THB, burglaries); Use of EU groups as drug couriers; High corruptive potential in the Balkans

Cooperation with other OCGs:• Lithuanian OCGs (trafficking from Central Asia to Western Europe);

Criminal organisations in source areas for drugs; Drug profits alsosupporting former KLA members and organisations

Recent and emerging developments

• Increasingly polycriminal; Expected to further their interests in the EU, especially in light of the projected Schengen implementation in Bulgaria and Romania

Nigerian/West African OCGs

Main criminal activities• Facilitated illegal immigration, THB, falsified/counterfeit

documents, Polydrug trafficking, Internet facilitated frauds, Credit card fraud, Counterfeit euro distribution

Common characteristics• Strong international dimension, Flexible structure (loose

international network of cells), Important role of women, Flexibility of routes and trafficking methods, Use of EU citizens for low level tasks (e.g. as drug couriers)

Recent and emerging developments• Increasing presence in source and transit countries for illicit

drugs, Growing sophistication and international influence as a result of cooperation with established criminal organisations (e.g. OMCGs, Russian OCGs)

Lithuanian OCGs

Main criminal activities• Trafficking of amphetamine and ecstasy to the Russia, Scandinavia

and the Baltic States; Trafficking BMK to the North West hub; Cigarette smuggling; Distribution of counterfeit euro; Property crimes (vehicle theft and armed jewellery robberies)

Common characteristics• Strong international dimension, bridge between Russian and

indigenous organised crime; Use of corruptive influence; Use of violence (armed robberies); High level of technical expertise (vehicle thefts, synthetic drug production); Substantial financial resources increase their recruitment, retention, infiltration and investment capacities

Cooperation with other OCGs• With Albanian speaking OCGs in heroin trafficking; With Baltic and

Ukrainian criminal groups in cigarette smugglingRecent and emerging developments• Increasingly polycriminal; North East hub serves as a transit point for

supply to the Russian Federation, with Lithuanian OCGs engaged in transport from Latin America via West Africa and the South West and North West hubs

Chinese OCGs

Main criminal activities

• Counterfeiting, Facilitation of illegal immigration, THB (labourand sexual exploitation), Falsified/counterfeit documents, Money laundering, Facilitation of illegal gambling

Cooperation with other criminal groups

• Close cooperation with Italian OCGs (Camorra and ‘Ndrangheta)

Common characteristics

• Diverse structures (Youth gangs, Mafia-type criminal associations,Triads), Code of silence (intensely closed social system), Use of violence (especially towards fellow members of diaspora communities), Capacity for corruptive influence

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs

Main criminal activities• Drug trafficking (Cocaine from the South West criminal hub

and the Balkans, Synthetic drugs from the North West hub); Weapons trafficking; Extortion and property crime (theft)

Common characteristics• Strong international dimension, established transnational

network; Hierarchical and rigid structure; High levels of internal and external violence; Ready access to firearms; Capacity for corruptive influence; Large capacity for territorial expansion

Cooperation with other OCGs• Links with Moroccan groups in the supply of cannabis resinRecent and emerging developments• Expansion into South East Europe, with potential for

involvement in drug trafficking via the Balkan Routes; HAMC: Attempts to establish a chapter in Morocco (expanding influence to source areas for drugs); Continued and even increased involvement in cocaine trafficking in the EU in the near future

Roma OCGs

Main criminal activities• THB (including sexual exploitation and child trafficking for the

purpose of forced begging), Fraud, Property crime (especially pick pocketing and burglaries), Extortion, Drug trafficking

Common characteristics• Extremely mobile (historically itinerant), Patriarchal culture in

which male members of the family have absolute control on women and children

Cooperation with other criminal groups• Consolidated links with Eastern European criminal groupsRecent and emerging developments• Increasing low level drug distribution• Given the size of Bulgaria's and Romania's Roma

communities, the planned expansion of the Schengen area is likely to prompt a further increase in THB by Roma OCGs

Italian OCGs

Main groupings

• Cosa Nostra (Sicilian mafia), ‘Ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia), Camorra (Neapolitan mafia), Apulian mafia

Common characteristics • High capacity to detect and best exploit new illicit scenarios; Control of territory in areas of

origin, control of economy in other areas of influence; World-wide network of connections; High infiltration capacity; Sophisticated money laundering techniques

Criminal activities • Infiltration of public contracts, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, usury,

property crime, crimes against persons, counterfeiting, illegal gambling, illegal waste management, weapons trafficking, facilitating illegal immigration, cigarette smuggling

Cooperation with other criminal groups• Polish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Moroccan and West-African distributing

counterfeit Euros; Chinese OCGs importing counterfeits; other national groups in drug trafficking, money laundering, and in control of major public contracts); Albanians and North Africans and recently Indian criminals in low level tasks relating to drug trafficking and sexual exploitation, illegal immigration and THB

Areas of operation• Centre of gravity in the Southern criminal hub; influence extends to Germany, the

Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, France, UK, Switzerland, the Western Balkans, Latin America, the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and China

Recent and emerging developments• Increasingly sophisticated techniques for ML; Apulian groups acquired international scope

thanks to their interest in drugs markets and cooperation with non-indigenous groups; ‘Ndrangheta expected to expand their international activities

Turkish OCGs

Main criminal activities• Heroin and cocaine trafficking; exchange of heroin for synthetic

drugs produced in the North West hub; Facilitation of illegal immigration; Distribution of counterfeit banknotes

Common characteristics• Traditional controllers of trafficking routes through presence in

Western Balkans and diaspora communities in EU; Criminal serviceproviders (supply and transport of illicit commodities for OCGs of various nationalities and ethnicities); Own transport companies facilitate illicit commodity trafficking

Cooperation with other criminal groups• Iranian OCGs (brokers between Afghan heroin producers and Turkish

OCGs); Albanian speaking OCGs in heroin trafficking Recent and emerging developments• Turkish OC activity in Morocco (greater role for the SW hub in heroin

trafficking in the future?); Increasingly polycriminal; Turkey = nexus point for migrants likely to be exploited by Turkish OCGs; the Black Sea region is likely to be a focus of this activity

Moroccan OCGs

Main criminal activities• Cannabis cultivation and resin trafficking, Cocaine trafficking,

Heroin distribution, Property crime, Facilitating illegal immigration, Producing counterfeit ID documents

Common characteristics• Small horizontal cells (no more than 10 members), Extensive

networks of relationshipsCooperation with other criminal groups• Supply of cannabis resin to OMCGs, Cooperation with Albanian

speaking OCGs in Italy, Cooperation with Dutch OCGsRecent and emerging developments• Greater prominence of suspects of Moroccan origin in the

production and distribution of synthetic drugs in the North West criminal hub

Russian OCGs

Main criminal activities• Drug trafficking; THB; Weapon smuggling; Distribution of

counterfeited goods and production of counterfeit medicines; Trade in stolen vehicles; Cybercrime; Fraud; Money laundering

Common characteristics• International dimension; Hierarchical groups as well as loose

affiliations (networks of businessmen interested in accumulatingprofit); High level of technical expertise (fraud, cybercrime); Capacity to establish and exploit legal business structures; Capacity forcorruptive influence; Minimal violence (avoiding attention of the authorities)

Cooperation with other criminal groups• Lithuanian OCGs (synthetic drug precursors, heroin, cheap cigarettes

and illegal immigrants); EU citizens, particularly from the Baltic States, are recruited as drug couriers by Russian criminal groups; EU criminal groups for the creation of legal business structures for money laundering

Recent and emerging developments• Activities in the EU increasingly difficult to detect using traditional law

enforcement methods


• Criminal Hubs



• Needed Response

• Citizens into closer proximity to OC

• Increasing corruption

• $ocial tol€ranc€, moral r€lativi$m: communities more tolerant of illicit commodities (especially counterfeit goods)

• Rising unemployment and reduced salaries: Individuals more likely to be recruited by OCGs

• Businesses more vulnerable

• Financial constraints on law enforcement

Global economic crisis

• Cooperation of specialists in the transport, financial, real estate, legal, typographic, IT, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors

• Specialists can be:

• Part of the OCG

• External professionals (corrupted or blackmailed)

• Certain OCGs provide specialist services to other OCGs

Knowing co-operation of specialists

Increasing diversification

• New/alternative routes

• New/alternative Modi Operandi

• New/alternative group structures

• New/alternative alliances

• Multi-commodity, poly-crime

• Create new illicit markets

• Traffickers share loads, spreading risks and costs

• Barter: illicit commodities are exchanged rather than purchased with cash

• Less “turf wars”

• Strategic distribution of AoI

Increasingly collaborative atmosphere

“Service provider” profile of OCGs

• OCGs act as indispensable intermediaries between clients and victims.

• Decreasing violence vs. victims

• Extreme care of “clients”

• Diversified offer

• Unfair competition in legitimate business

• Privatised state assets (Eastern Europe)

• Real Estate

• Constructions

• Power plants

• Telephone companies

• Financial institutions

• Transport

• Cash intensive businesses

• Gambling

Penetration in private sectors

39

SCAN System & the ECIM Cycle

40

SCAN System & the ECIM Cycle

Plenary session 12011 OCTALayout of the PresentationHubs and feedersNorth-West Criminal hub (1)North-West Criminal hub (2)North-West Criminal hub (3)North-East Criminal hub (1)North-East Criminal hub (2)North-East Criminal hub (3)South-East Criminal hub (1)South-East Criminal hub (2)South-East Criminal hub (3)Southern Criminal hub (1)Southern Criminal hub (2)Southern Criminal hub (3)South-West Criminal hub (1)South-West Criminal hub (2)South-West Criminal hub (3)Layout of the PresentationCriminal Groups: DistributionAlbanian Speaking OCGsNigerian/West African OCGsLithuanian OCGsChinese OCGsOutlaw Motorcycle GangsRoma OCGsItalian OCGsTurkish OCGsMoroccan OCGsRussian OCGsLayout of the PresentationGlobal economic crisisKnowing co-operation of specialistsIncreasing diversificationIncreasingly collaborative atmosphere“Service provider” profile of OCGsPenetration in private sectorsSlide 39Slide 40

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