Fighting drug smugglers more efficiently: OSCE works with Council of Europe and partners to produce new online tool for drug enforcement agencies

A new OSCE-supported online tool, a handbook designed to help drug enforcement officials to increase the number of arrests of drug smugglers, was launched at the premises of the Council of Europe on 6 June 2018 in Strasbourg, France.

The Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat together with Eurojust, Europol, Interpol, SELEC and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Operation of European Conventions on Co-operation in Criminal Matters contributed to the online handbook by collecting relevant information from its participating States which are not members of the above organizations and structures.

The new online guidebook is designed for law enforcement and judiciary to make controlled deliveries of illicit drugs more efficient.

Controlled deliveries allow illicit or suspect consignments to pass through the territory of one or more countries. These deliveries are made under the supervision of the authorities of states involved, with the purpose of investigating an offence and fully identifying the persons involved in it. 

Although such schemes have existed for many years already, they have not always worked as planned because law enforcement officials in one country may not be in contact with the right officials in another country, or because inadequate information on drug enforcement legislation in another country prevents the schemes from working properly.

The new online handbook, initiated by the Council of Europe’s drug policy network, the Pompidou Group, is structured to provide information to law enforcement and judiciary in an easily accessible and constantly updated manner. The handbook is expected to enhance co-operation across borders, and improve the international co-ordination that is required to effectively carry out controlled delivery operations.