Over 70 law enforcement officers, border officials and international experts met in Strasbourg on 10 and 11 June 2026. Their shared purpose was to confront a serious and growing threat: the criminal exploitation of general aviation for drug trafficking. The Council of Europe’s Pompidou Group hosted the two-day gathering as the seventh instalment of its Expert Network Session. Authorities from across Europe and beyond took part, reflecting how widely this problem now reaches.

Why General Aviation Is Increasingly at Risk

Private aircraft, helicopters and other non-commercial aviation assets give organised crime groups a range of tactical advantages. Criminals benefit from flexible scheduling and limited passenger screening. They also exploit access to smaller airstrips that sit well outside major border control infrastructure. As a result, general aviation drug trafficking has become one of the more persistent challenges facing European law enforcement today.

The Pompidou Group organised the session with support from EMPACT and the Benelux Secretariat. EMPACT stands for the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats. Furthermore, these bodies have together built a working coalition of practitioners. Their focus is on exchanging intelligence and closing the operational gaps that criminal networks continue to exploit.

Opening Remarks Set the Tone

Christiane Schimeck serves as Executive Secretary of the Pompidou Group. She opened proceedings with a clear message. She stressed that the expertise within the network and its long-standing cooperative spirit represent its greatest strengths.

Tony Verachtert, Chair of the Expert Network on General Aviation, also spoke at the opening. He acknowledged that general aviation runs on freedom, flexibility and innovation. However, he stressed that opportunity and vulnerability go hand in hand. In his view, experience must become knowledge, knowledge must become strategy, and strategy must become action.

Data and Technology Drive New Approaches

Throughout the two days, delegates examined fresh approaches to surveillance, risk detection and cross-border coordination. Notably, data-driven tools now play a central role in identifying suspicious flight patterns. Consequently, authorities can disrupt drug smuggling via private aircraft before consignments reach their intended destinations.

Discussions drew on case studies and regional practices from across Europe. In addition, participants shared examples of innovation that have produced tangible results. Enhanced monitoring of landing records is one area where progress is already visible. Real-time information sharing between aviation and border agencies is another. According to EUROCONTROL, general aviation generates around 40% of all instrument flight rule movements in European airspace. That figure alone illustrates how vast the monitoring task is.

Experts also reviewed how criminal organisations shift and adapt their methods over time. Therefore, participants considered what institutional responses authorities must develop to stay ahead of those changes.

A Single Point of Contact Network to Launch

The Strasbourg session produced one particularly significant outcome. Participants agreed to develop a single point of contact (SPOC) network in cooperation with EMPACT. This network will create a clearer channel between public authorities and private sector stakeholders across jurisdictions. Experts identified this communication gap as one of the most pressing vulnerabilities in the system.

Moreover, the SPOC initiative reflects a broader ambition. Authorities want durable, operational infrastructure rather than periodic summits alone. That infrastructure will support day-to-day efforts against drug smuggling via private aircraft.

Renewed Commitment to Cooperation

Ultimately, the session concluded with a shared reaffirmation. Participants committed to closer information sharing, stronger interagency links and continued innovation as threats evolve. General aviation represents approximately 90% of all air traffic movements in Europe by volume. That scale alone makes the monitoring challenge considerable.

Indeed, the concern running beneath all of this is straightforward. Illicit substances that reach communities through unchecked aviation channels cause lasting harm. Early detection and disruption are therefore the most effective tools available. The partnerships strengthened in Strasbourg will carry that work forward in the months ahead.

Source: dbrecoveryresources