Organised crime impacts EU's foundations, says Europol

Europol says organised crime is no longer just a threat to public safety but impacts the foundations of the EU's institutions and society.

A new report published today on the changing nature of serious and organised crime says crime is increasingly destabilising through internal and external threats.

The internal threat from organised crime it says are manifested through the laundering or reinvestment of illicit proceeds, corruption, violence and the criminal exploitation of young people.

Externally it says organised crime networks are increasingly operating as proxies in the service of hybrid threat actors or states, a cooperation which is mutually reinforcing.

Europol says crime is now being nurtured online with digital infrastructures driving criminal operations enabling them to scale up and adapt at "unprecedented speed".

The report says that almost all forms of serious and organised crime have a digital footprint, whether as a tool, target or facilitator.

"From cyber fraud and ransomware to drug trafficking and money laundering, the internet has become the primary theatre for organised crime", the report says.

"Criminal networks increasingly exploit digital infrastructure to conceal their activities from law enforcement, while data emerges as the new currency of power - stolen, traded and exploited by criminal actors."

The report also points out that crime is being accelerated by AI and other emerging technologies.

"Criminals rapidly exploit new technologies," it says.

"The same qualities that make AI revolutionary - accessibility, adaptability and sophistication - also make it a powerful tool for criminal networks."

The report also highlights the dangers from seven principal forms of serious and organised crime:

• Cyber-attacks, mostly ransomware but increasingly attacks targeting critical infrastructure, governments, businesses and individuals - often with state-aligned objectives
• Online fraud schemes, increasingly driven by AI-powered social engineering and access to vast amounts of data including stolen personal information
• Online child sexual exploitation, with generative AI producing child sexual abuse material and facilitating online grooming
• Migrant smuggling, with networks charging extortionate fees and showing complete disregard for human dignity, exploiting geopolitical crises
• Drug trafficking, a diversifying market with changing routes, modus operandi and the potential further spread of violence and recruitment of young people across the EU
• Firearms trafficking, which is expanding due to technological advancements, online marketplaces and weapons availability in Europe
• Waste crime, an often overlooked but lucrative sector where criminals exploit legitimate businesses, severely impacting the environment