The authorities have dismantled four major criminal networks responsible for feeding drug flow in the European Union and Turkey, arresting more than 230 people in a bite known as the Bulut operation.
On Wednesday, the last three arrests were carried out in the Netherlands and Germany, ending the trans-European operation.
Europol said the investigation took place in several courts and involved the authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
What distinguishes this operation is the extent to which law enforcement agents used information from encrypted digital platforms to find and stop alleged drug smugglers.
In an interview with Euronews, Andy Kraag, the head of the European and organized European center of Europol, explained the operation more.
Euronews: Why is the Bulut operation considered innovative in the fight against international crime and drug trafficking?
Andy Kraag: ** This is an excellent example of a strategy to combat these criminal organizations. This strategy, as we call, is a data -based network strategy. With these platforms, for example, we collect large sets of data.
We carry out an analysis so that we can identify, we can locate and target the right criminals. This is an excellent example. This sends a strong message to the groups of organized crimes that even the most resilient networks can be dismantled, especially when we, as the appliance of the law, we unite their strengths.
Euronews: Was Anom an encrypted platform to attract and follow criminal activities?
Kraag: ** The bulut operation was built on encryption, therefore on the messages of the sky and the ANOM. And Anom is a different platform. Anom was the platform led by the police, the Australians and the police.
And they saw it. And in this platform, these criminals have also spoken of criminal activities. So, instantly, we could use it as proof.
Thanks to Anom, the police themselves have devoted a platform themselves and the criminals choose to communicate on it.
Euronews: Did the EU police forces, as well as Turkey officers, had access to the encrypted platforms that criminal gangs used to communicate?
Kraag: ** These messages (criminals) gave us the main advantage to carry out this operation. Even if the messages were four years old, it takes a while to develop cases.
Sometimes we also say in the application of laws, that this gold mine of information that we have decrypted is as the gift that continues to give. We are constantly developing an exploitable intelligence, which leads to current surveys.
ADVERTISEMENTEuronews: You mentioned a keyword; intelligence. Have you managed to overcome the lack of classified information sharing between states? It is often a stumbling block in the fight against crime in the EU?
Kraag: ** The sharing of information between European law enforcement agencies has improved, but now we are also able to share too. France has authorized sharing (of its intelligence) with Turkey.
We know that there are the police and that there is only one necessary thing: to share information, to cooperate and to be able to connect the points.
And specifically for Europol, what is our role? This is essentially what we do. We are the glue that brings everything together.
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