Organised crime groups from Georgia continue to be reported as highly active within the Schengen+ area and play a significant role in organised property crimes, - reads the report issued by the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

“Georgian organised crime groups have changed their activities in several EU Member States from domestic burglaries to organised shoplifting. Some of them have also moved to other countries for their operations. This is, to some extent, probably the result of increased efforts undertaken by many EU Member States in recent years to tackle organised crime. Furthermore, since the entry into force of the visa-free regime, several EU Member States reported an increase of Georgian asylum seekers amongst criminals arrested.

Georgian cybercriminals were involved in the international GozNym criminal network dismantled in May 2019 by an international law enforcement operation supported by Europol.

Georgia has reinforced its cooperation on international law enforcement with Europol and strengthened the network of Georgian police attachés in the EU. Within the framework of the recently adopted Action Plan (2019-2020) of the National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime (2017-2020), Georgia has further strengthened its action against organised crime as well as continuing to strengthen its modern crime analysis mechanisms through the gradual introduction of intelligence-led policing”, reads the report.