Tag Archives: Belgium

Europol counter-terror efforts

Posted on July 19, 2019 by Gary Cordner

An interview with Catherine De Bolle, Europol executive director and former commissioner general of police in Belgium, is available here. She discusses counter-terror developments in Belgium following the 2016 attacks in Brussels and current EU-wide initiatives including those focused on … Continue reading →

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Elder fraud

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Gary Cordner

U.S. authorities announced a year-long “largest-ever” elder fraud crackdown resulting in criminal and civil charges against 260 defendants for defrauding more than 2 million victims out of $750 million, as reported here. The total annual loss to elder Americans is … Continue reading →

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Terrorism at lowest level since 2002

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Gary Cordner

Global terrorism has been decreasing steadily since 2002. The number of terror attacks decreased 19.8% in 2017, following drops of 9.2% and 11.5% in the preceding two years, according to this article. Terrorism-related deaths declined 24.2% in 2017 following drops … Continue reading →

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Authorities close DDoS sites, pursue users

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Gary Cordner

This article reports seizure of xDedic, an online marketplace for stolen login credentials and identities, following a coordinated FBI/Europol investigation that included raids on 9 locations in Ukraine, with additional details here and here. In related news, Europol and UK … Continue reading →

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More on drug trafficking to EU

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Gary Cordner

This article provides additional details on the recent EU police operation targeting mafia-run cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe. On the smuggling side, several different mafia clans allegedly worked together to deliver tons of cocaine across the Atlantic. On … Continue reading →

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130 organized crime arrests in 2 days

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Gary Cordner

This article reports the arrest of 84 suspected ‘Ndrangheta members in coordinated operations in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Suriname. In addition, “more than 3,000 kilograms of cocaine was seized in the Netherlands along with 140 kilograms of ecstasy … Continue reading →

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An American in Al-Qa’ida

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Gary Cordner

This article decribes the experiences of the first American foreign fighter to join Al-Qa’ida following the 9/11 attacks. He traveled from Long Island to Pakistan and Afghanistan, completed several training courses, and participated in two failed missions before being captured. … Continue reading →

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Police-led restorative justice

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Gary Cordner

This blog post summarizes a 2-year study in 3 UK jurisdictions of police involvement in restorative justice, including street-level police activity and referrals to service partners. Research found that training and having an agency “champion” were significant, and “it is … Continue reading →

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New Europol head announced

Posted on March 9, 2018 by Gary Cordner

This article reports that the commissioner general of the Belgian federal police, Catherine De Bolle, will become executive director of Europol on May 1, when current head Rob Wainright’s term concludes. She was the first female federal police commissioner in … Continue reading →

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Role of parliament in police governance

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Gary Cordner

Here is a link to a new volume from the respected Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces on the role of parliament in police governance. The book provides and compares case studies from 8 countries in Asia … Continue reading →

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