At its 27^th sitting held on October 1, 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a Resolution and Recommendation on key problems concerning migrant smuggling.

While expressing its concern at the lack of consistency in the legislation of member states aimed at combating the smuggling of migrants, PACE today proposed that the Council of Europe draw up an instrument on the smuggling of migrants “which ensures as much consistency as possible in the understanding and interpretation of this crime.”

             On September 27, 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, and Yaser Balaghi, 37 (the conspirators), with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns.[1]  The activity was part of the Iranian Government’s continuing efforts to fuel discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and illegally obtain information concerning current and former U.S. officials that could be used to further the malign activities of the IRGC, including its efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).[2]

             On September 25, 2024, Norwegian authorities announced their arrest of Lucas Cho Ayaba, a German national and a leader of the Ambazonia Governing Council – a separatist group party to the ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s anglophone region.[1]  Norway’s Kripos police unit – a group assigned to deal with crimes against humanity and war crimes – said that the arrestee was “in their 50s” and a key player in the Cameroonian conflict.[2]  Ayaba is accused of inciting crimes against humanity and perpetuating the conflict from a residence in Norway, which gives the prosecutors several avenues through which they can pursue the case.[3]  This is the first time Norway has charged someone for inciting crimes against humanity.[4]  Ayaba’s lawyer affirmed that Ayaba would not plead guilty, but if convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison.[5]

             In a significant step to strengthen Europe’s response to organized crime, Eurojust, the EU’s judicial cooperation agency, has launched the European Judicial Organised Crime Network (EJOCN). This new network will bring together specialized prosecutors from all 27 EU Member States, aiming to tackle the evolving and increasingly transnational nature of organized crime. With its focus on drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, and other illicit activities, the EJOCN represents a coordinated and strategic approach to dismantling criminal networks that operate across borders.

                 After almost 20 years of imprisonment, David Lin, a pastor from California, has been released from prison in China. Lin's return to the United States marks the end of a nearly two-decade case that has received wide international attention.

                 Very few knew of Tren de Aragua a year ago, and yet, it now features as an unpleasant face of the American migrant crisis that is driving support for the Republican ticket.  In its transition from obscurity to national notoriety, the Venezuelan gang has incurred the ire of both the American people and the US Treasury -- who sanctioned the gang in July.

             On September 13, 2024, the United States Court for the Eastern District of New York arraigned Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, 76, a citizen of Mexico, on 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering.  The arraignment concerned the fifth superseding indictment concerning El Mayo’s leadership over decades of the Sinaloa Cartel.  El Mayo was previously charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise, murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes.[1]

             Philippine authorities arrested Apollo Quiboloy, a high-profile televangelist wanted for human trafficking and sexual exploitation, on September 8, 2024, after a two-week manhunt. Quiboloy, the founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC), a megachurch claiming millions of followers worldwide, stands accused of orchestrating a sex trafficking ring that targeted minors and exploited his congregation for labor. Quiboloy was apprehended at his 75-acre compound in Davao City after a large-scale raid by the Philippine National Police, who also issued a 24-hour ultimatum for Quiboloy, and four others implicated in the case to surrender[1]. His capture, involving thousands of law enforcement officers, marks a significant victory for international authorities but also highlights the intricate political and diplomatic hurdles that often complicate such high-profile cases. Philippine Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos announced the arrest in a Facebook post, sharing a selfie with the pastor in custody.

                On July 2, 2024, the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) arrested a lawyer, suspected of bribing high-level officials in Equatorial Guinea. He is charged with corruption, money laundering, falsification of accounts, and forgery of documents.[1] The investigation, which was coordinated by the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime and supported by the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), uncovered that the Spanish lawyer transferred nearly EUR 4.5 million through his project development company to obtain a contract to build a fishing industry company in Equatorial Guinea. On “action day,” Spanish law enforcement executed two house searches in Asturias seizing five pieces of real estate valued at EUR 4.5 million, EUR 30,000 in cash, and 21 bank accounts holding over EUR 2 million.[2] Their discoveries led to the lawyer’s eventual arrest.

                 As the national elections in the United States progress, several initiatives have occurred to counter alleged interference by the Russian Government with the elections.  The U.S. and two other governments designated parents of Russia Today (RT) for sanctions. On September 16, Meta, and YouTube announced they would ban Russian media outlets, including RT, stating they have conducted covert influence campaigns across social media sites to manipulate discourse online. On September 12, a jury convicted four U.S. citizens for conspiring to act as agents for the Russian government.