Tendencies, risks of drugs' trafficking discussed at EU's Security HUB

Chisinau, 9 November /MOLDPRES/ - Tendencies and risks of drugs’ trafficking on the European continent, the logistic routes and the regional dynamic today were analyzed at the eighth session of the EU’s Security HUB for Internal Security and Border Management in Moldova.     

Key experts from eight EU member countries, as well as European practitioners in the security sector participated in the event. ‘’We proved together that we pursue the same principal goal of the HUB: complex, coordinated and unified approach for the prevention and combating of all forms of criminality, moving the European security ecosystem beyond the borders of the European Union,’’ Interior Minister Adrian Efros said.   

„We face a huge challenge, which does not have bounds – the scourge of drugs. Just imagine this fact: 30 billion euros annually, this is the value of the illegal market of drugs in the European Union alone. It is not only huge; it is the biggest and the most profitable criminal market out of all. The transnational crime networks exploit Moldova as a hub of transition for drugs, carrying enormous quantities of hashish, cocaine and heroin to the east and to the west. Therefore, we must work together, in order to approach this complex challenge,’’ the deputy director general of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, Olivier Onidi, said.     

„On behalf of EU, we are resolute to cooperate together with Moldova in approaching the challenge of the trafficking of drugs, using a wide range of instruments, including political support, financial assistance, operational support, technical expertise and opportunities of  development of the capacities. The today’s discussions will contribute to the defining of our future joint actions,’’ Head of the European Union’s Delegation in Moldova Jānis Mažeiks said.    

The participants in the discussions tackled the dynamic of the challenges and risks of the trafficking of drugs. They stressed the need to combat it through significant captures and revising the present schemes.    

The EU’s Security HUB is a joint platform which provides information, infrastructure and expertise to Moldova and EU countries, to order to strengthen the internal security. The HUB’s general goal is to prevent and combat the forms of criminality, enhancing the security of EU, as well as of the neighbour countries.