The Maltese Police Commissioner visits Europol

Mr Laurence Cutajar, Police Commissioner of Malta, visited Europol on Thursday 24 May. Police Commissioner Cutajar was briefed on Europol’s activities, in particular those of the European Serious Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC), the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) hosted at Europol’s headquarters. He also visited Europol’s 24/7 Operational Centre and the Maltese Liaison Bureau. Executive Director De Bolle and Police Commissioner Cutajar discussed future developments and explored the possibilities for even further, stronger engagement.

Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said "Malta is an important partner for Europol among the EU Member States, especially given its geographical location at the southern external border of the EU. The Mediterranean Sea, from the east to the west, sees the perpetration of criminal activities related to migrants smuggling, drug trafficking, and illegal trafficking of commodities. We encourage Malta to continue to increase the information exchange with Europol and to strengthen our positive cooperation".

Mr Laurence Cutajar said "The Maltese Police works closely with Europol and we believe the intelligence and information sharing within Europol is crucial to fighting organised crime. We live in an interconnected world where international borders are much less significant to people involved in serious organised crime. Europol and the Maltese Police recognise the importance of cooperation and sharing to ensure an effective approach to combatting common threats."