Operation Oscar is launched by EU institutions to seize assets

Europol, Eurojust, and Frontex have initiated Operation Oscar as part of the EU Member States' cooperative investigation into illegal assets held by sanctioned individuals for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

One of Operation Oscar's primary objectives is to help member states in conducting criminal investigations into the circumvention of EU trade and economic sanctions.

Operation Oscar is a unified investigation, similar to Operation Sentinel, into fraud using the COVID-19 European Recovery Funds.

Europol's European Financial and Economic Crime Centre will enable information sharing and intelligence collection among partners, as well as assist in the financial investigation of illicit assets and the circumvention of EU sanctions connected to Russia's military assault against Ukraine.

Europol will centralize and analyze all information gathered during this operation in order to discover connections, criminal organizations, and suspects, as well as emerging criminal trends and patterns.

Europol will also give additional analytical help, operational coordination, forensics and technological knowledge, as well as financial assistance to the necessary national agencies.

The International Criminal Court of the European Union will give legal help and support to national investigative and judicial bodies, as well as promote collaboration between them.

Frontex will intensify its surveillance of individuals who enter the EU's external borders and are sanctioned.

According to the authorities, the mission will be accomplished in all three of its domains - sea, air, and land.

By fLEXI tEAM