Having a global vision of cocaine trafficking from producing (LA), transit (LA, EU, Africa) and consumption (EU) countries, in addition to strengthening international operational cooperation, were the main objectives of an activity organised by EL PAcCTO in Lima, entitled “New cocaine routes”. A total of 14 Latin American and European countries took part,, in addition to Ameripol, Interpol, the SEACOP project, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the CRIMJUST Project and the MAOC (N).
During the meeting, representatives of the police forces of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay shared information on cocaine trafficking from their own points of view and those of the institutions with a view to adapting the police response to developments in the illegal cocaine market, increasing drug seizures and dismantling organised criminal groups.
During the official opening of the workshop, Emmanuel Hondrat, Cooperation and Development Attaché of the European Union Delegation in Peru said that EL PAcCTO is helping Peru to improve coordination between the officials in the judicial chain, enhance training plans for prosecutors and judges and bolster police intelligence systems.
Eduardo Vergaray Van Meerbeck, the director general against Organised Crime of the Ministry of the Interior, said that the common objective of the activity, which is to deal with drug trafficking and the entire value chain, must be achieved, underlining that Peru is firmly committed to fighting the illegal drug trafficking that is affecting the entire region.
An overview of the global cocaine trafficking situation
Drugs produced in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru are sent to transit areas such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay before being forwarded to the European market. An unprecedented increase in drug seizures in Uruguay, for example, such as the dizzying sequence of illicit shipments of products intercepted in the country destined for Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo etc.) or upon arrival in this region (Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Angola etc.), are evidence of the scope of the worldwide threat, and the growing concerns of everyone fighting drug trafficking.
In the short term, the meeting will be a way to establish links and contacts between trusted operational services and develop strategies for the rapid and fluid exchange of information between operational services of Latin American countries and define strategic and operational priorities for work in 2022 to support the fight against drug trafficking between Latin America and the European Union.
The Evaluation of the Threat of Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America – IDEAL identifies drug trafficking as the most important priority (more information LATIN AMERICAN TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIME THREAT ASSESSMENT – IDEAL), this activity was the initial step that allowed the launch of working groups that will work holistically on the new routes, roads used, modi operandi, etc. The meetings revealed the need to exchange more information, because cooperation is vital to effectively dismantle organised criminal groups.