By Mohamed Kamara
A renowned Spanish transnational crime expert has criticized the ineffective investigative tactics employed by local authorities, warning that these shortcomings are allowing high-level criminal suspects to escape justice.
Don Calvo Sotelo, an expert on global mafia operations, emphasized the growing trend of international crime syndicates exploiting developing countries as safe transit zones for illicit trade, particularly drug trafficking. He lamented that despite occasional interceptions—such as the recent seizure of a container carrying illegal substances—the real perpetrators remain untouched due to poor follow-up strategies.
“Seizing the container is only a fraction of the work,” Sotelo explained. “Once authorities detect the contraband, they should avoid raising the alarm and instead initiate a discreet, sustained surveillance operation.”
He described a more strategic approach where law enforcement would allow the container to proceed through port clearance procedures under observation. “Let it reach its final destination—whether a warehouse or private residence. The key is to monitor until the drugs are unloaded. Only then can you apprehend those truly behind the crime.”
Sotelo noted that in the recent case, the public discovery of the drugs gave the culprits ample time to flee or destroy evidence. “With such reactive methods, the suspects vanish, and eventually, the police have no option but to hand the seized goods over to the state,” he added.
According to him, this reactive and outdated investigative style is precisely why global crime networks are increasingly routing their operations through less-developed jurisdictions, confident that systemic weaknesses will shield them from prosecution.
As transnational crime continues to evolve in scale and sophistication, experts warn that unless local enforcement agencies modernize their methods, they will remain several steps behind—leaving nations vulnerable and justice elusive
