Europol has recently identified an expansion in the range of illicit commodities being trafficked using light aircraft.
In the past, organised crime groups have mainly used small airplanes for trafficking drugs into and around the European Union (EU). However, there has been a noted rise in the use of light aircraft for trafficking drugs into the EU (e.g. from North and West Africa), and the number of suspicious flights between EU Member States is also increasing. In addition to drugs, though, light aircraft are also now being used to facilitate illegal immigration, smuggle victims of human trafficking, and to traffic firearms, diamonds and bulk cash shipments for money laundering.
For example, from North Africa, organised crime groups make regular trips (e.g. 50 kg loads) that target small airfields in remote parts of South East Europe. They specialise in ‘low and slow’ flights under radio silence to avoid detection. The commodities are delivered by ‘air drops’ and landings at remote airstrips and agricultural fields.
All kinds of small airplanes, from utility aircraft to executive jets, are being used to traffic illicit commodities into Europe and between the EU’s criminal hubs, with helicopters also used in Western Europe. The majority of these aircraft are EU registered, but many are also registered in the US and, in some cases, African countries.
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