Europol wants drug accord with Israel

By David Cronin

Date: 13/01/05

Europol has recommended that EU negotiate a police co-operation accord with Israel as part of a clampdown on terrorism and the drugs trade.

In a paper seen by European Voice, the Hague-based police office says that militant Palestinian groups like Hamas and Hezbollah have a presence on EU territory and "are allegedly actively raising funds to finance their cause".

Hezbollah, it adds, has "established links" with the al-Qaeda network and therefore represents "a threat to the security of EU member states". Both it and Hamas "might act as a vehicle for al-Qaeda in the European Union", it claims.

A request from Europol's management board to be given the go-ahead to begin talks is to be considered by EU diplomats on Monday (17 January). Sources say that talks on an accord would take two or three months.

Europol contends that Israel is in "a unique position to provide information on these various terrorist groups", given it has "long experienced problems with Islamic terrorism".

On the illicit drugs trade, Europol states that "Israeli criminal groups have been identified as a major supplier of ecstasy worldwide".

"They use established structures and loose-knit networks of Israeli nationals in the EU and in other regions of the world for trafficking ecstasy and other synthetic drugs to the United States, Australia and Canada."

Europol estimates that 80% of ecstasy available throughout the world is manufactured in the EU, citing allegations that Israeli nationals have been involved in producing the drug in the Netherlands.

Although Europol contends that Israel has "an appropriate and efficient law enforcement structure", its 25,000-strong police and border guards have been denounced by human rights activists.

Article reports that Europol has recommended that the EU negotiate a police co-operation accord with Israel as a move against terrorism and the drugs trade. Europol pointed out that militant Palestinian groups like Hamas and Hezbollah had a presence on EU territory and that Israeli criminal groups had been identified as a major supplier of ecstasy and other synthetic drugs worldwide.