Grande-Marlaska calls for international cooperation against maritime drug trafficking routes to be strengthened

The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, during his visit to Lisbon to the headquarters of the Center for Analysis and Maritime Operations on Drug Trafficking

Speaking in Lisbon (Portugal), Fernando Grande-Marlaska emphasised the need to strengthen international cooperation to combat major maritime drug trafficking routes. "Experience shows that the individual efforts of each State must be complemented by joint action, by joining forces", he asserted.

Grande-Marlaska visited the headquarters of the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre for Drug Trafficking (MAOC-N), a police coordination forum made up of nine European countries and strategic partners, such as the United Nations, Interpol, Europol and the DEA in the US.

The Spanish Minister for Home Affairs highlighted the "exemplary model of collaboration in the fight against crime that the MAOC-N represents" and called for its structure to be strengthened, along the lines set out by the European Union.

The new EU Strategy against Drug Trafficking, presented last December and supported by a renewed action plan, prioritises intensifying "international cooperation to detect drug trafficking at external borders". This objective also involves "extending MAOC-N's actions to dismantle criminal organisations".

In this regard, Fernando Grande-Marlaska stressed "Spain's commitment to the growth of MAOC-N" and its connection with the Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO), a body attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"We now consider MAOC-N's capabilities to be a natural extension of the Spanish State law enforcement forces and agencies' information and coordination tools in the fight against drug trafficking", added Grande-Marlaska.

Spain, a founding member

During his visit, the minister met with MAOC-N's Executive Director, José Ferreira, its Head of Operations, Jean-Damien Moustier, and Liaison Officers from the various countries represented at the centre. Spain belongs to the group of seven founders together with France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Belgium and Germany joined in 2024.

The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre for Drug Trafficking is a benchmark in terms of coordinating major investigations in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Its relationships with international agencies and drug source and transit countries provide a high-level intelligence tool for combating these drug shipments and other aspects of organised crime.

Non official translation