SEACOPSEAPORT COOPERATION

CONTEXT PROGRAMME

COUNTRIES COVERED:

GLOBAL ILLICIT FLOWS PROGRAMME

The trafficking of illicit goods -including drugs- is an international phenomenon with a
WEST AFRICA: Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana,
devastating impact on social and economic development as well as on public health. Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, The Gambia
The transatlantic axis, which stretches from Latin America via the (TBC), Ivory Coast (TBC)
Caribbean and West Africa to Europe, is a major route for these illicit flows. THE CARIBBEAN: Anguilla, Antigua,
Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica,
Orchestrated by transnational criminal groups operating across several continents and Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat,
St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent,
often involved in other criminal activities (e.g.: kidnapping, money laundering, etc), illicit Trinidad and Tobago
goods trafficking is a source of instability and a threat to governance. LATIN AMERICA: Argentina, Brazil,
Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
The bulk of illicit goods are transported by sea, mostly concealed among legitimate cargo Panama, Peru, Suriname(TBC), Paraguay
within containers or on cargo vessels, as well as on fishing boats and yachts. Inadequate (TBC), Uruguay (TBC)
port controls and general institutional weakness facilitate criminal activity and enable DURATION:
July 2010- December 2023
the intersection of illicit flows connecting ports in South America to ports in Africa and
IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS:
Europe that promote criminal networking. This flexibility in transatlantic maritime • Expertise France, France
trafficking is a fundamental reason why it is necessary to target trans-regional trafficking • FIIAPP, Spain
routes between Latin America, the Caribbean, West Africa and Europe in a consistent, In collaboration with:
coherent and simultaneous manner. In response, as part of the EU’s Global Illicit Flows • CIVIPOL, France
• Policia Judiciaria, Portugal
Programme (GIFP), SEACOP works with relevant authorities in these regions, in close • UKBF , UK
cooperation with EU agencies fighting transnational crime and ensuring border security.. • DGDDI, France
• DCSD, France
• MAOC-(N)
• NCA, UK
OVERALL OBJECTIVE • FRONTEX
FACTS AND FIGURES:
The overall objective of SEACOP is to support the fight against maritime illicit trafficking and • Training courses: 101
associated criminal networks in the targeted countries and regions in Latin America, the Caribbean • People trained: 952
and Africa. • JMCUs: 20 (Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina
Barbados, Benin, British Virgin Islands,
Cape Verde, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada,
PURPOSE Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Senegal,
Sierra Leone, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Togo,
The purpose of SEACOP is to provide the means (equipment, IT tools and related skills) to targeted Trinidad and Tobago)
countries and regions to: • MIUs: 16 (Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina,
Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cape
1. Reinforce their seaport control and intelligence capacities by setting up, consolidating and Verde, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, Montserrat, Peru, St. Kitts
equipping dedicated units in seaports or sensitive coastal areas.
and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and
2. Improve or establish national maritime information systems. the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
Each country received IT, search and
3. Enhance the operational delivery and cooperation at national, regional and trans-regional levels. rummage equipment for the MIUs and
the JMCUs
ACTIVITIES • Regional workshops: 13
• Transregional events and
conferences: 2
1. Create inter-agency Joint Maritime Control Units (JMCUs) and Maritime Intelligence Units (MIUs)
• Seizures supported by trained teams:
in key ports. 47 (2012-2020) - 23 tons of cocaine,
2. Comprehensive training in maritime search techniques, and in maritime intelligence and 13.4 tons of cannabis, 1M USD cash,
37 M cigarettes and 7M counterfeit
targeting, by EU Member State Experts. condoms.
3. Procurement of search equipment, protective clothing and information technology to support CONTACT:
European Commission Service for
the activities. Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI)
4. Planned mentoring activity maintained following the training. FPI 1 – Global Threats
E-mail: FPI-1@ec.europa.eu
5. Improving cooperation and information sharing at regional and trans-regional level.
6. Establish national maritime information systems and promote the sharing of information
Funded by the European Union
regionally

Foreign Policy
Instruments