Europol warns of 731 criminal networks<\/b> of the \u201cmultinational<\/b>\u201d in the EU, involving drugs, fraud<\/b> and cybercrime <\/b>are dominating and expanding rapidly<\/b>.<\/p>\n
In a period where digitization<\/b>, the globalization of markets<\/b> and the increasing convergence of legal and illegal economic activities<\/b> are radically transforming the landscape of security in Europe<\/b>, Europol\u2019s new analysis highlights an alarming reality<\/b>: hundreds of organized criminal networks now operate with structures resembling multinational companies<\/b>, leveraging international connections<\/b>, technological tools, and flexible business models<\/b> to expand their activities into drugs, fraud, and cybercrime <\/b>with ever-increasing intensity<\/b>.<\/p>\n
In a report released today<\/b>, Europol reported the existence of 731 criminal networks that pose a significant threat <\/b>within the European Union<\/b>, with organized groups <\/b>resembling global corporations<\/b> more and more, according to the European Police Office<\/b>.<\/p>\nThe data <\/h3>\n
The main activity of these networks is drug trafficking, followed by fraud, cybercrime, organized property crime, and human trafficking, said J\u00fcrgen Ebner, Executive Director of Europol, speaking at a conference.<\/p>\n
Their numbers are declining, however: in its latest report of this kind, published in 2024, Europol identified 820 criminal organizations.<\/p>\n
Among these, approximately 200 groups\u2014which have not yet been dismantled\u2014are of particular concern. \u201cThey are hierarchically structured, often based on family or ethnicity, have extensive international networks, and their core operations are global,\u201d Emberner emphasized.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe could speak, for example, of global corporations,\u201d he said at a press conference in Brussels. \u201cThey have an extremely solid financial foundation and make use of legal structures,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Digitalization, technological innovation, global trade, geopolitical instability, and the growing overlap between legitimate and illicit economies offer \u201copportunities for criminal activity on an unprecedented scale,\u201d Europol emphasized in its new report.<\/p>\n
The agency emphasizes that the 731 existing transnational criminal networks present a remarkably consistent threat profile, characterized by their flexibility, their cross-border reach, their control, and their destructive nature.<\/p>\n
They consist of more than 400,000 members from 118 nationalities.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u201cThis report teaches us that we must invest more in coordinating actions within European logistical support platforms, such as the Ports Alliance,\u201d the agency added.<\/p>\n
\u201cEuropol has found that criminal groups are very adaptable… They constantly evolve, merge, and reinvent themselves, which makes them even harder to track down and dismantle,\u201d said Magnus Bruner, European Commissioner for Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are not street gangs; they are criminal organizations,\u201d he added during the same press conference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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