01/12/2022
The fight against criminal networks linked to irregular immigration has been the reason for the decoration of Spanish police officers stationed in the field.
Moment of the awarding of the medal
With the aim of strengthening the fight against criminal networks linked to irregular immigration, the Spanish and French police have been working hand in hand for six years with their Nigerian counterparts.
In recognition of their dedication to their work and the quality of the results obtained within the ECI-Niger project, the three Spanish police officers stationed in the field, Fernando Guerrero, Daniel Torres and Víctor Requeni, have been decorated by the Director of Territorial Surveillance of Niger.
Fernando Guerrero, project coordinator, thanked the Niger authorities on behalf of himself and his colleagues, and praised the excellent collaboration between the Niger, French and Spanish police in the framework of this project. “Six years after the start of its activities, we can say that this is a mission that has fully met the expectations for which it was created, including the fight against criminal networks linked to irregular immigration to ‘Europe and human trafficking,” said Fernando.
For his part, the director of Territorial Surveillance took the opportunity to recall the results obtained during the first two phases of the project and highlighted as results the dismantling of 196 international and 57 national criminal networks, the seizure of 126 vehicles and 86 motorbikes, the discovery of more than 251 forged documents.
The event could not conclude without the participation of the head of the European Union delegation in Niamey who reaffirmed the European Commission’s readiness to support the project in view of its good results and took the opportunity to announce that there will be a third phase of the project, in order to allow the continuation of operational activities to combat criminal networks involved in human smuggling and trafficking.
The ECI-Niger project is funded by the European Union and aims to strengthen the fight against criminal networks linked to irregular immigration and human trafficking. Agents of the National Police of Niger, Spain and France have participated in this project coordinated by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP). The ECI-Niger Project supports the branches of the Special Investigations Division (DIS) in Niamey, Agadez, Tahoua, Maradi and Zinder, as well as in Birni Konni and Arlit. The DIS, a unit specialised in investigating human trafficking, migrant smuggling and document fraud, was created in 2016, the year in which the first phase of the project began, within the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance and constitutes the operational anchor of the ECI-Niger project and has been supported by six experts (three Spanish police officers and three French police officers) working with 36 Nigerien police officers.
