3.2 Pressure on Law Enforcement Due to the Conflict

As the emphasis was on humanitarian assistance and military aid, international police cooperation was not prioritised in the early days of the conflict.38 Resources were allocated to support Ukrainian citizens fleeing the conflict towards the EU and assist front-line border agents in adapting to the humanitarian crisis. As a result, there was less focus on cross-border crime.

Ukrainian law enforcement has been overwhelmed with new assignments, and police capacity suffered significantly during the first few weeks of the conflict. For instance, border authorities from neighbouring countries reported that Ukraine border guards would have to leave their posts frequently, leaving the entire management up to the counterparts across the border.39 Such increased demands could also negatively impact law enforcement agencies’ capacity to protect the country’s vulnerable targets, whose overall security is critical during active fighting.

Despite the many challenges, the number of border seizures and arrests throughout Ukraine indicates that SSU, police officers and border guards largely remained capable of carrying out their daily tasks. More generally, State institutions maintained a certain degree of efficiency in counteracting organized crime, but allegations of corruption are still numerous. in March and the first half of April 2022 there were 76 attempts to bribe Ukrainian border guards.40 Considering that most corruption cases go unreported and undetected, this could represent a small portion of a much larger problem. In April 2021, President Zelenskyi ordered the firing of 125 employees of the State Customs Service following allegations they were complicit or complacent with contraband, including many in senior positions within various regions of Ukraine. The President also initiated legislation against the purported smugglers,41 which indicates that Ukraine has started to focus on threats related to smuggling. According to interviews with selected experts, Kyiv understands the problem’s urgency. However, it is unclear whether the reshuffle of personnel will solve the issue or might simply lead to the redistribution of profits gained from smuggling from one elite group to another.42

The fast-changing security landscape also requires cross-border cooperation and continuous information exchange. The prioritisation of police and regional cooperation improved when Interpol’s missions were deployed to Moldova in March,43 and the EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) agencies (including CEPOL, EIGE, EMCDDA, EUAA, Eurojust, Europol, FRA, and Frontex) started supporting Ukraine, Moldova, and the EU Member States to bring law enforcement agencies closely together in fighting serious and organized crime. Following the initiative of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) community to assess, anticipate, prevent and counter existing or emerging serious and organized crime threats, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) conducted a training needs analysis of law enforcement on a variety of topics.44 This analysis found that law enforcement and other professionals across Europe have expressed the need for assessing up-to-date information on changing patterns of existing

A Snapshot of Key Trends The Conflict in Ukraine and its Impact on Organized Crime and Security and new criminal groups, as well as specific training on digital skills and the use of new technologies.

In June 2022, the EU announced that it would establish the Support Hub for Internal Security and Border Management in July to support Moldova, one of the most vulnerable countries in Ukraine’s Western border, in the fight against organized crime.45 The hub will focus on combating firearms trafficking, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism and violent extremism, and countering cybercrime and drug trafficking. This is a significant qualitative improvement and scaling up of the existing EU operational presence in Moldova, which has mostly been grounded in the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine.

The Government of Moldova will continue to require urgent support. Representatives of the Ministry of Interior, including the Policy Directorate and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situation, indicate that there is a need to strengthen the capacity and knowledge of the law enforcement community in light of both new and increasing threats and trends in organized crime, including trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, trafficking of arms, and cybercrimes, as well as strategic analysis and new investigative techniques. Moreover, Moldova has expressed concern about decreasing public order, and they have faced challenges responding to the increased number of fake bomb threats across the country, further stretching law enforcement resources.