From 8 to 10 November, law enforcement representatives from EU Member States and Switzerland convened in Slovenia for CEPOL’s training course on heroin smuggling.
The main goals of this course were:
- to enhance cooperation between EU Member States in targetting heroin smuggling;
- to foster cooperation between EU law enforcement agencies, with the aim of establishing a network to discuss topics of interest to law enforcement investigators concerning heroin smuggling routes, such as information exchange and policy elements.
At his presentation, Colonel Sangin, Head of the Intelligence and Investigation Unit at the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan, openly shared daily challenges in intelligence gathering and operations against heroin traffickers, eradication of poppy fields, heroin processing in illegal laboratories, diversion of acetic anhydride supplies, and smuggling routes to Pakistan, Iran or Central Asia.
Steve Bennett, leader of the EMPACT priority “Heroin”, highlighted several operational actions planned for next year in this area, and encouraged participants to get involved on them via EMPACT actions. Furthermore, Konstantina Stergiatou, experienced action leader from the Hellenic Police, presented an example of a joint action in this field.
The course programme also included forensic methods applicable at heroin smuggling investigations, options for covert surveillance, operational support by SELEC and EUROPOL, as well as EU funding via the Heroin Route III project.
This activity contributed to the Operational Action Plan 2016. We thank all supporting partners, including the UK Embassy in Afghanistan, the UK National Crime Agency, the Hellenic and the Czech Police, the Central Forensic Laboratory in Slovenia, SELEC, EUROPOL, the EU project Heroin Route III and Slovenia as hosting partner.
Zuzana Liskova, CEPOL Programme Officer
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