EUBAM together Europol, Frontex, Eurojust, OSCE, EMPACT, and representatives from law enforcement agencies in Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, and Romania, recently convened for a crucial operational meeting of the Arms Working Group on 30 January.

The gathering brought together experts from the EU/international institutions and regional law enforcement agencies to delve into the national situational picture of firearms trafficking along the EU’s eastern external border. Key highlights of the meeting included in-depth discussions on the situational picture, latest significant cases, trends and challenges in the detection of illegal weapons at the border and beyond it.

While acknowledging the effectiveness of legal and preventive measures implemented by participating countries against illegal arms trade, ammunition, and explosives, the participants emphasized the need for continued vigilance. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, concerns were raised about the potential for criminal groups to exploit the situation, making it imperative to anticipate and counteract the rise in illegal weapon access and smuggling across borders.

A unanimous consensus emerged among all participants regarding the necessity to enhance control activities along the Moldova-Ukraine border. The group emphasized the importance of strengthening inter-agency and international cooperation, particularly in the realms of information exchange, both investigative and intelligence, and collaborative preventive actions.