CRIMJUST III: Disrupting criminal networks operating along illicit trafficking routes

Context

The EU has targeted transnational organised crime (TOC) through a series of integrated projects that collectively form the Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP). The success of these initiatives in building the capacity of beneficiaries has highlighted the need to further investigate and prosecute complex cases across jurisdictions, going beyond seizures and focusing on identifying and dismantling organised criminal networks through effective criminal justice responses, building strong cases for prosecution and ensuring the conviction of key offenders. 

Since 2016, CRIMJUST has been at the forefront of efforts to combattransnational organised crime and illicit trafficking in Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa.   

Overall objective

CRIMJUST aims to support Member States along supply chains of illicitly trafficked commodities to go beyond interdiction activities in order to disrupt and dismantle organised crime networks by strengthening transnational investigations and prosecutions, fostering international cooperation in criminal justice matters, and promoting joint criminal justice actions.

Specific objectives

• To enhance the ability of criminal justice institutions to disrupt high-risk organised crime groups operating along illicit trafficking routes.
• To strengthen criminal justice institutions’ specialised knowledge and employment of financial crime actions and strategies to counter corruption and organised crime.
• To reinforce ethical, human rights-based and gender-responsive approaches to ensure due process and fair, effective, and humane criminal justice systems.

Concrete activities

• Investigative case forums to coordinate post-seizure investigations across jurisdictions and support to Joint Investigation Teams.
• Expert group meetings to develop guidelines on international cooperation in corruption crimes, environmental crimes, border prosecutions, and prosecutor’s protection.
• Training and mentoring on specific topics such as special investigation techniques or trends in cocaine production and trafficking.
• Support to networks of prosecutors, judicial networks, and police cooperation centres.
• Stakeholder meetings on human rights and gender mainstreaming in organised crime investigations – development of strategic roadmaps.
• Training on financial investigation actions and strategies.