Germany unveils a comprehensive plan to modernize main security authorities, including customs (Zoll) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), to disrupt and dismantle organized crime more effectively.

The action plan targets organized crime across financial crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering, with aims to tighten enforcement, boost inter-agency networking, expand personnel, and upgrade technology.

The report accompanies a short video segment, running about three minutes, with the timestamp noted at roughly 12:34.

A key policy measure reverses evidentiary burdens in cases of gaps between assets and income to facilitate seizure and asset recovery from serious crimes.

In 2024, illegal drug trafficking accounted for 40% of organized crime proceedings (259 of 650 cases), with money laundering involved in 146 cases totaling about €230 million.

Overall, the initiative aims to curb networks that cost the economy billions, with organized crime causing an estimated €2.64 billion in economic damage in 2024, and drug trafficking representing a large share of cases.

The plan represents a joint effort by three ministries, with detailed legal foundations to come in subsequent legislation, centering on enforcement, coordination, and technological capability.

Institutional changes include tighter information sharing between Zoll and BKA, purpose-limited data access, and new powers for automated data analysis, biometric internet matching, and IT product testing.

Officials, including the Finance Minister and Vice-Chancellor, describe the plan as sharpening the rule of law by targeting criminals at their money sources.

Drug trafficking will be addressed through a joint Drug Analysis and Evaluation Center and a joint federal investigative group for drug offenses, co-managed by Zoll and BKA at federal level.

The plan provides mutual data access between customs and the BKA, with AI-powered data analysis, new units for money laundering investigations, and interoperable data access to identify suspects across fragmented datasets.

Expanded authorities and personnel for the BKA, plus interoperable data sharing and joint data-analysis centers and cross-agency investigation teams focused on money laundering and narcotics operations.