The Executive Director of MAOC-N, José Ferreira, visited the headquarters of EUROPOL in The Hague for high-level discussions on strengthening operational coordination in the fight against maritime drug trafficking.
During the visit, Mr Ferreira met with Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle. The meeting provided an opportunity to reaffirm the strong partnership between MAOC-N and Europol and to explore ways to further enhance joint operational efforts against organised crime groups exploiting maritime routes.
Recent developments highlight the scale and complexity of the threat, as organised criminal networks are increasingly using diverse maritime modi operand, including but not limited to at-sea transfers, semi-submersibles, non-commercial vessels and go-fast vessels to traffic drugs into Europe.
The visit to Europol reinforces MAOC-N’s commitment to providing a forum for multilateral cooperation, facilitating intelligence sharing, and maximising operational activity, while further strengthening collaboration with key partners such as EUROPOL to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking networks and enhance security across the Atlantic.
