TCP 3 – 2021 Insights – MEDEA Project

TCP 3 2021 Insights

In the realm of TCP3, two distinct workshops were organised, so that practitioners and experts could focus on two separate aspects of Cross-Border Crime and Terrorism, i.e. Drug Smuggling (April 7^th 2021), and Online Radicalisation (April 8^th2021). While the former focused on the scenario of smuggling heroin from Turkey to Western European Countries inside lawfully transported goods, the latter delved into how digital platforms are used for the dissemination of Islamist terrorist content, influencing, radicalising, and recruiting people online. Among the participants were The Hellenic and Romanian Police, the Hellenic Ministry for Citizen Protection, the Ministry of Justice of Cyprus, and EUROPOL.

TCP 3 Capability Gaps

Insufficient coordination between various private and public actors on information gathering and reporting suspicious behaviour at local and regional level, while competent authorities and practitioners are not utilising at full level synergies and cooperation at national and international level

Need for innovative solutions to advance the detection (and analysis) of concealed drugs within vehicles, containers, transported goods, and people

Limitations in suppressing the non-legal transfer of funds (economic crime using the Hawala method and Cryptocurrencies) attributed to smuggling activities

Intelligence exchange between practitioners from different organisations and countries is needed from the early stages to monitor effectively the Organised Criminal Group (OCG) activities

Better exploitation of existing databases and enforce open interfaces to data processing tools

Need for additional capabilities for SIGINT, IMINT, OSINT to facilitate LEAs’ information analysis units

Requirement for stronger and more effective cooperation between stakeholders from various disciplines across different EU Member States and EU third countries

Need for a common and more frequent risk analysis process for the transport of goods that may dissimulate drugs

Need for more Joint Action Days (JAD’s) in the region for performing checks based on risk indicators and existing intelligence

LEAs require additional capabilities to intercept voice and data communication and decrypt / decipher them

MEDEA is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Programme, under grant agreement no 787111

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TCP 3 2021 Insights

TCP 3 Capability Gaps

Limited access and use of automated tools to detect radicalisation content leading to violent extremism and terrorism

Difficulties for LEAs to remove online radicalisation content leading to violent extremism and terrorism

Practitioners and stakeholders are not fully exploiting the EU Internet Forum database

Need for communication / public campaigns to enhance civil awareness regarding online radicalisation