3015/2026/WEB 'Fighting illegal tobacco production: insights from Greece’s recent operations'

The aim of this webinar is to strengthen EU law enforcement awareness of large-scale illicit tobacco production and trafficking, focusing on how the most threatening criminal networks and individuals engage in and profit from this activity, illustrated through insights from recent Hellenic Police operations.

By the end of this webinar, the audience will be able to:

• Describe the criminal intelligence picture, as well as the latest threats and trends in the EU related to the illicit production and trafficking of cigarettes.
• Describe good techniques and practices for the real-time detection and investigation of illegal cigarette production sites.
• Summarise the recent successes of the Hellenic Police in dismantling large-scale illicit tobacco operations and the criminal links uncovered.
• Explain how the most threatening criminal networks and individuals are involved in illicit tobacco production and related organised crime activities.

EMPACT training activity

Combatting new forms of organised crime requires more cooperation between police and gendarmes, customs officers, border guards, judges, and prosecutors. EU institutions, agencies and Member States work together to tackle organised and serious international crime through a permanent and key instrument: the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

CEPOL plays a crucial role in the EMPACT mechanism through the provision of specialised training and the identification of training needs within each common security threat. Every year, CEPOL provides a comprehensive training package for each common EU crime priority consisting of onsite, online and exchange training activities.

Check more of CEPOL's EMPACT training activities here.