In a massive EU cyber police crackdown against organized crime across 26 countries, 796 people were arrested.

With 796 people arrested and 316 investigations launched, the EMPACT Joint Action Day South East Europe 2024 (JAD SEE 2024) was a major triumph against organized crime. The operation, which involved more than 31,000 officers spread across 26 nations, focused on high-risk criminal activities such as drug smuggling and people trafficking.

Cyber News Dec 14, 2024 0 19 Add to Reading List

In a massive EU cyber police crackdown against organized crime across 26 countries, 796 people were arrested.

With the combined efforts of 31,109 officers from 26 nations, the EMPACT Joint Action Day South East Europe 2024 (JAD SEE 2024) has produced impressive results. 442 firearms were seized, 316 new investigations were opened, and 796 people were arrested as a result of the operation. This enormous project demonstrates the European Union's (EU) and its international partners' dedication to fighting significant criminal risks throughout the region.

Bringing Together to Combat Organized Crime
The operation, which was coordinated from a central hub in Sarajevo, made use of the resources and experience of non-EU countries, EU member states, and organizations like INTERPOL and Europol. The JAD SEE 2024 focused on fighting high-risk criminal networks, including narcotics and illegal firearm trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and others.

The operation's scope, which included comprehensive checks on the online and offline worlds, including social media and the dark web, was unprecedented. To improve operational efficacy, special "cyber patrols" included prosecutors from other jurisdictions in addition to law enforcement agents.

Investigations and Arrests: In all, 796 people were taken into custody, and 316 new inquiries were started.

Weapons Found: 442 illicit firearms were seized by the authorities.

Broad Coverage: Officers performed 655,914 checks across entities, including 516,153 persons, 152,284 vehicles, and 4,985 postal packages.

Cross-Border Cooperation

Strong cross-border cooperation, including involvement from the Western Balkan region, Moldova, Ukraine, and Turkey, was essential to JAD SEE 2024's success. In order to facilitate operations on the ground and guarantee real-time data sharing, Europol deployed specialists and mobile offices, which was a critical contribution.

Additionally, the EU4FAST project helped establish coordination centers and made it easier for EU Member States, INTERPOL, and other important organizations to get involved in the operation.

An Achievement for EMPACT
This operation, which was guided by the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), showed how effective group action can be in combating significant international crime. JAD SEE 2024 has established a standard for intelligence-driven and cooperative strategies to combat international criminal networks by bringing people together under the motto "Uniting Forces Against Organized Crime."