Police and customs representatives from 12 countries of the South-East Europe region strengthened close technical co-operation at their 5th annual meeting, hosted by the Hungarian authorities in Budapest, on 28-29 May 2019. The delegation was welcomed by Colonel Kristóf Péter Bakai, Director General for Customs at the National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary. Participants discussed methods of operational data sharing, new trends in smuggling illicit drugs through their airports and ways of tackling common challenges in the region. Exchanges touched upon the risk analysis of airport passenger and cargo traffic, counter-measures against drug delivery drones and an assessment of technical devices used at different airports.

The Co-operation Group of South-East European Airports was set up at the initiative of Croatia in 2015, recognising the need for greater co-operation in the region, and the common geographical and historical grounds of the participating countries. The plenary and technical meetings organised annually offer a unique opportunity for discussing strategic issues, exchanging modus operandi and strengthening police-customs collaboration.