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On international women’s day, we pay tribute to all the women in law enforcement who on a daily basis contribute to the security of our societies and our citizens. Whether it is leading criminal investigations, gathering and analysing intelligence, or protecting our streets and neighbourhoods, women are part and parcel of making Europe safer and more secure to live in. This has not always been the case unfortunately. While we should recognise and cherish the efforts and contributions of all our police officers every single day – both women and men – it is on international women’s day that we should remember that this equality has been hard-fought and hard-earned. On a day like this, we commit not only to acknowledge, respect and praise the invaluable work of women in law enforcement, but also to further facilitate and empower their role, at all levels. Joint statement by Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle and European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos.

In the early hours of Monday 4 March, the Italian Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (Anti-mafia Investigation Department) and the Italian Carabinieri arrested 32 individuals, allegedly members of the Italian crime syndicate, Cosa Nostra. Law enforcement organised raids in several Italian cities, such as Agrigento, Catania, Palermo, Parma and Trapani. The arrests were the result of a long and complex investigation carried out by the Italian authorities with the support of Europol and the Belgian Federal Police. The investigation, labelled Operation Kerkent, started in 2015 and targeted the Cosa Nostra of Agrigento, in Sicily, that was known to be active not only in Sicily but also in the region of Calabria and in northern Italy. The mafia-structured organised crime group and its members were involved in international drug trafficking (cannabis, cocaine and synthetic drugs), weapons and explosives offences, as well as one case of kidnapping. Among the 32 arrested, was the leader of the Cosa Nostra family and a well-known leader of Ultras Bravi Ragazzi, an organised supporter group of the Italian football club Juventus F.C. The successful hit is the result of a fruitful exchange of information between Europol, Belgium and Italy. The success is a concrete example of cooperation in tackling the dangerous Italian criminal group Cosa Nostra, which spreads its illicit business outside Italy into many European Union Member States. Europol supported the case with the Top OCG Team, dealing with the most dangerous organised crime groups and its dedicated Analysis Project on Italian Organised Crime (AP ITOC). Europol provided analytical and operational support, such as organising dedicated operational meetings at its headquarters in The Hague. The investigation was also supported by the Italian @ON network (Operational Network), in which Europol and Belgium play key roles. The aim of the @ON network is to strengthen international police cooperation on mafia-style criminal groups, making it possible for EU Member States to request, in coordination with Europol, the deployment of specialised investigators. 　 　 　 　

Today, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Perseuss, a global platform in sharing fraud intelligence. The MoU was signed by Maarten Alleman, CEO of Perseuss and the Head of EC3, Steven Wilson, at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague. Perseuss takes part in the annual Global Airline Action Days (GAAD), a major international law enforcement operation targeting airline fraudsters. During this action, Perseuss detects fraud patterns and provides relevant data to facilitate Europol-coordinated cross-border investigations. On the signing of the MoU, the Head of Europol's EC3, Steven Wilson, commented: “Public-private partnership initiatives such as the Global Airline Action Days are of crucial importance in helping us fight organised criminality. Perseuss has been one of our closest partners in this area and this Memorandum of Understanding is a great opportunity to further strengthen our cooperation. Only together can we tackle this highly lucrative, and equally dangerous type of crime.” Maarten Alleman, CEO of Perseuss, said: “Working with Europol has been a great synergy: combining our data and technology has accelerated our work enormously." He also added: "We've been working with Europol for over 5 years now and we're happy to play a key role in operations like the Global Airline Action Days. It is truly inspiring to see how so many institutions in both the private and public sector manage to work together on such a large scale. Although we have seen a slight decrease in fraud over these last years, there is still a lot to do. This partnership is a great step forward in our joint mission to fight fraud. We're excited to continue our work with Europol and local authorities in the future." Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1 100 staff members, Europol uses state-of-the art tools to support some 40 000 international investigations each year, serving as a centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence. Perseuss is a global database used for fraud prevention and conversion optimisation by a global community of online merchants. When data sharing wasn’t as common as it is today, Perseuss was founded by a community of merchants who were victims of fraud.

Today the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the United States Department of the Treasury visited the Europol headquarters and discussed how the Europol and FinCEN can better work together to safeguard the international financial system from illicit use. FinCEN at Europol Mr. Kenneth A. Blanco, Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and Mr Wil van Gemert, Deputy Executive Director of Europol, Operations Directorate, agreed to deploy a FinCEN Liaison Officer to the Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Liaison Officer will support and coordinate the cooperation between FinCEN, Europol and EU Member States – in particular, when exchanging information. Wil van Gemert, Deputy Executive Director of Europol: “Europol is designed to operate in partnership with law enforcement agencies, governmental departments and other stakeholders. We embrace the idea of collective intelligence, in the sense of a large group of individuals that gather and share their knowledge, strategic views and skills for the purpose of preventing and combating all forms of serious international and organised crime, cybercrime and terrorism. The system of liaison officers ensures that the interests of our stakeholders are represented at Europol’s headquarters. “This agreement strengthens the already excellent partnership between FinCEN and Europol and will help facilitate the exchange of vital financial information in a more effective and efficient way in order to better protect our financial system and citizens from harm, “ said Director Blanco. “We are fortunate to be able to provide a dedicated and talented liaison who is committed to our mutual mission of keeping our nations and families safer on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.”  Almost all criminal activities yield profits, often in the form of cash, that criminals then seek to launder through various channels. While money laundering is an offence in its own right, it is also related to other forms of serious and organised crime. Professional money launderers’ core business model is to perform money-laundering services on behalf of other criminal groups. A coordinated approach The scale of money laundering is difficult to assess, but it is considered to be significant. Europol’s Financial Intelligence Unit has a broad mandate in the area of combating money laundering, terrorism financing and asset recovery. The Financial Intelligence Unit provides Member States with intelligence and forensic support to prevent and tackle international money laundering and terrorism financing activities and to support Member States when recovering the proceeds of crime. The main objective of money laundering, terrorism financing and asset recovery investigations is to identify the criminals involved, disrupt their associates, and recover and confiscate the proceeds of their crimes. FinCEN’s mission is to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, combat money laundering, and promote national security through the strategic use of financial authorities and the collection, analysis, and dissemination of financial intelligence.   How we work FinCEN is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury and carries out its mission by receiving and maintaining financial transactions data; analysing and disseminating that data for law enforcement purposes; regulating banks and other financial institutions concerning the detection, reporting and prevention of money laundering and countering terrorism financing; and building global cooperation with its international counterparts. Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1100 staff members, Europol uses state-of-the-art tools to support some 40,000 international investigations each year, serving as a centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence.    

Migrant smuggling remains one of the most profitable and widespread criminal activities for organised criminal networks worldwide. The migrant smuggling business is a large, lucrative and sophisticated criminal market, with document fraud being one of the main activities of the groups. To tackle the challenges ahead, cooperation frameworks have been established with partner countries along key migration routes. Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) in cooperation with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD)brought together representatives from law enforcement authorities of EU Member States and non-EU countries ; the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union; the European Commission; partner agencies and academia to collaborate and discuss cross-border crimes within the migratory context under Mobility Partnerships (MPs) and Common Agendas on Migration and Mobility (CAMMs). As Head of Europol’s European Serious and Organised Crime Centre, Jari Liukku said the meeting presented “a unique opportunity to share experiences on best practices and to discuss current and future challenges, but also the way we jointly define effective strategies to better face challenges associated to migrant smuggling.” “The EU-funded Mobility Partnership Facility (MPF) supports policy dialogues and operational cooperation with third countries by addressing quick-start actions with those partner countries that have signed non-legally binding agreements such as the Mobility Partnership or the Common Agendas for Migration and Mobility,” said Graziella Rizza from DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission. Ralph Genetzke, the Head of the ICMPD Brussels Mission, added, “Tackling transnational crime requires coordinated responses. The flexibility of the Facility allows the ICMPD as implementing authority to address priorities and needs by providing technical and financial support to EU Member States and partner countries while building synergies and mutual trust.” During the in-depth exchange, the experts shared experiences and developed new ideas to combat migrant smuggling. The purpose of the meeting was to enable a wide dialogue among law enforcement entities in the area of migrant smuggling and its links with document fraud. Participants were offered a unique opportunity to discuss strategic approaches and explore ways to enhance cross-border cooperation, within the framework of MPs/CAMMs.

The wait for the victims of GandCrab is over: a new decryption tool has been released today for free on the No More Ransom depository for the latest strand of GandCrab, one of the world’s most prolific ransomware to date. This tool was developed by the Romanian Police in close collaboration with the internet security company Bitdefender and Europol, together with the support of law enforcement authorities from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UK, Canada and US FBI. In addition to versions 1, 4 and early versions of 5, the new tool resolves infections with version 5.0.4 through 5.1 – the latest version developed by the cybercriminals.  Why the fuss? GandCrab has surpassed all other strains of ransomware in 2018, having infected over half a million victims since it was first detected in January last year.  Back in October, a decryption tool was made available covering all but two versions of the then existing versions of the malware. This tool followed an earlier release back in February. Downloaded more than 400 000 times so far, these two tools have helped close to 10 000 victims retrieve their encrypted files, saving them some USD 5 million in ransomware payment. The GandCrab criminals have since released new versions of the file-encrypting malware, all of which are covered by the tool released today. The best cure against ransomware remains diligent prevention. Users are strongly advised to use a security solution with layered anti-ransomware defences, regularly back up their data and avoid opening attachments delivered with unsolicited messages. Find more information and prevention tips on www.nomoreransom.org  

Europol has supported an investigation coordinated by the Federal Judicial Police of Leuven (Belgium) into an Albanian-Belgian drug trafficking gang. The coordinated action days took place between 4 and 6 February when police services intervened to bring down the organised criminal network at various locations in Belgium and Switzerland. In total, 22 suspects were arrested and six were sent to prison by the authorities in Leuven. Police searched 24 houses in Belgium and various actions were carried out in Switzerland at the same time.  The investigation led to the discovery of six cannabis plantations with a total of 4 500 cannabis plants. During the operation, an active cannabis plantation with 1 000 cannabis plants was found in a former strip club. This particular plantation was guarded by two suspects of Albanian origin. Similar set-ups were found where Albanians were illegally staying in the country to maintain and guard the plants. In addition, large quantities of cannabis, firearms, bulletproof vests and €10 000 in cash were seized. These complex criminal investigations were initiated in autumn of 2017 after police received information that a Belgian-Albanian organisation was importing and exporting narcotics on a large scale. Europol supported the investigation from the beginning by facilitating the exchange of intelligence throughout, as well as providing analytical, financial and technical support. In 2010 the EU set up a four-year Policy Cycle to ensure continuity in the fight against serious international and organised crime. In March 2017 the Council of the EU decided to continue the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime for the 2018 - 2021 period. This multiannual plan tackles the most significant threats posed by organised and serious international crime to the EU. This is achieved by improving and strengthening cooperation between the relevant services of EU Member States, institutions and agencies, as well as non-EU countries and organisations, including the private sector where relevant. Drug trafficking is one of the priorities for the Policy Cycle for the 2018 – 2021 period.  

Europol supported Policía Nacional (Spanish National Police) in arresting a man in Ceuta (Spain) suspected of indoctrinating young people and promoting and disseminating jihadist terrorist propaganda. Police officers also carried out a search of his house. In 2001, he was serving prison time and made contact with other prisoners who shared their radical ideas with him. Since then, he had been arrested several times for illicit arms possession, robberies and drug-related crimes. While in prison, the suspect tried to recruit young people to the extremist jihad and spread his extreme ideas to prisoners by offering them money if they grew beards, read the Quran and obeyed his orders. The arrested man had been highly radicalised: he played loud jihadist songs, threatened people because of their sexual orientation and considered women inappropriately dressed. His high level of aggression, both in his behaviour and crimes, was very similar to other individuals who were radicalised in jail and who later carried out terrorist attacks. Europol supported Policía Nacional investigators from the specialised Spanish Counter Terrorism Unit (Comisaría General de Información) by providing analytical support, social media analysis and deploying one expert from the Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre to Spain on the spot. Watch video

The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) had its first Board of Management meeting of 2019 this week at the Australian Institute of Police Management in Manly, New South Wales, to take a closer look at the disturbing trends and dangers of online child sexual exploitation through cross-border collaboration. During the in-depth exchange, all the attending member countries highlighted the importance of prevention and the significant increase in the number of arrests, as well as in the number of children worldwide requiring protection from online child sexual exploitation. A number of priority areas were identified as a result of the discussion, including a need to leverage technological solutions to detect, block, and prevent the hosting of online child sexual exploitation materials. Close national and international collaboration play a crucial role in developing strategies for this phenomenon. Created in 2004, the VGT is an international law enforcement alliance dedicated to the protection of children from online child sexual exploitation and transnational child sexual offending which is currently chaired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The VGT law enforcement members are supported by key partners within industry and non-government organisations from around the world. The following VGT members attended the meeting: Australian Federal Police; Dutch Politie (National Police); Europol; Interpol; Ministry of Interior of United Arab Emirates; National Crime Agency; New Zealand Police; Royal Canadian Mounted Police; US DHS Homeland Security Investigations.  

Last month marked the kick-off of the 2019 Operational Action Plan for the EMPACT priority ‘Criminal Finances, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery’, an EU-financed initiative led jointly by the French Customs and Judicial Police. On this occasion, financial crime investigators from 25 EU Member States, together with specialists from Europol, CEPOL and Last month marked the kick-off of the 2019 Operational Action Plan for the EMPACT priority ‘Criminal Finances, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery’, an EU-financed initiative led jointly by the French Customs and Judicial Police. On this occasion, financial crime investigators from 25 EU Member States, together with specialists from Europol, CEPOL and the European Commission, convened at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, to agree on ways to tackle this cross-cutting criminal threat. As Driver of the priority, the head of unit at the French Customs and Excise Department praised the interagency approach of the Police-Customs Drivers’ team and proudly stated that a new financial investigators network arose within this priority. The Deputy-Head of the French Central office for the Suppression of Serious Financial Crime of the Judicial Police also congratulated the participants for their involvement. It enabled to strengthen cooperation among partners across the EU, create synergies and develop strategies in a brand new approach. Money laundering is considered the engine of organised crime, enabling and facilitating most, if not all, other types of serious and organised crime. Money laundering sustains and contributes to the growth of criminal markets across the EU and is one of the 13 priorities for fighting organised crime between 2018-2021. The priorities are based on Europol’s Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment and set out by the EU Council’s Policy Cycle. This meeting officially launched the operational action plan, which coordinates the work of law enforcement in this crime area. The action plan outlines 19 actions to be carried out throughout Europe in the upcoming year. This will include joint actions targeting money laundering syndicates offering money laundering services to other criminal networks, alongside some targeting organised crime groups making use of emerging new payment methods to launder criminal proceeds. Six EU Member States (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) and two EU Agencies (Europol and CEPOL) have agreed to lead one or more of these operational actions.

On 21 January 2019, some 300 hundred officers from the Gendarmerie Nationale (French Gendarmerie) and the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Finance Corps) targeted suspects across both countries believed to be part of an organised crime group behind a large-scale international money-laundering scheme. The criminal cash flows are estimated at €5 to €7 million per month. The coordinated raids took place simultaneously in Paris, Ivry-sur-Seine, Bagnolet, Montpellier, Marseille, Fréjus, Grenoble and Orvault on the French side, and Florence, Arrezzo, Brescia and Rome on the Italian one. As a result, 19 suspects were arrested and some €550 000 in cash seized, alongside several luxury watches and vehicles. Authorities in Algeria seized gold with a value of almost €1 million.  The sting follows a two-year complex investigation looking into the activities of this criminal network believed to be very prolific. Money originating mainly from drug trafficking and tax evasion was collected by couriers in different cities in France, before being laundered via two distinct schemes – via the Hawala system, allowing the transfer of money without any physical transportation of cash – and via gold laundering, whereby part of the cash money collected was sent to Italy to buy gold from unscrupulous business intermediaries. The precious metal was then transported back to France and Spain in order to be exported by sea to Algeria, where the masterminds behind this scheme were based. Europol supported the investigation from the outset by facilitating the exchange of information. On the action day, two Europol experts were deployed on-the-spot in France and Italy to allow for the real-time exchange of information and for cross-checks of the data gathered in the course of the action against Europol’s databases.  

Today, in a joint operation, the German Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) Münster, the German Customs’ Investigation Office, the Dutch Specialised Prosecution Office for Fraud and Environmental Crime in Zwolle and the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD) dismantled an organised crime group (OCG) involved in international drug trafficking and money laundering. The national investigations that culminated in the common action day were supported by Eurojust and Europol. A joint investigation team (JIT) was established in November 2018, which allowed the national authorities to quickly gather and safely exchange information and evidence. Eurojust provided financial support to the JIT and facilitated judicial and operational cooperation between the national authorities. Europol deployed a mobile office during the action and provided forensic support on the spot. All obtained data, particularly in relation to the  dark web and cryptocurrency accounts, will be further investigated by Europol experts. The national investigations into the OCG were initiated in September 2018. The OCG was composed of 13 members, including some of Afghan and Dutch origin. The suspects in the Netherlands prepared parcels or envelopes with drugs, which were mailed to Germany. The perpetrators in Germany used various mailboxes and post offices to ship the packages on to recipients around the world. The orders were made online through the darknet, using cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin and paysafecards, given the anonymity it offers. Members of the OCG are also suspected of being involved in money laundering activities related to their profits. Prior to today’s action, amphetamines, MDMA, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, with a total street value of more than € 400 000, were seized. Today, 10 private residences and business premises were searched at the German-Dutch border. Large amounts of drugs, including 40 kg of amphetamine and 1 kg of ecstasy pills, as well as mobile phones, computers, documents and € 10 000 in cash, were seized. Twelve suspects were arrested, 4 under European Arrest Warrants. Sale and distribution of illegal drugs through the dark web is of increasing concern given the level of anonymity offered, also subsequent postal distribution. That said, law enforcement successfully target and combat such criminal activities. Europol is able to offer a range of specialist operational support services. This coordinated international cooperation proved useful in the disruption of this criminal group.

On 24 January, the U.S. Prosecutor’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of Tampa (Florida), the Federal Computer Crime Unit (FCCU), the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigating Judge of Belgium, as well as the Ukrainian National Cyber Police and Prosecutor General’s office of Ukraine, with the support of the Bundeskriminalamt of Germany and Europol seized the xDedic Marketplace. The servers and domain names of the xDedic Marketplace were seized, and the website’s criminal activities stopped. The xDedic Marketplace sold access to compromised computers worldwide as well as personal data. It operated in both the clear and dark web. Users of xDedic could search for compromised computer credentials by criteria, such as price, geographic location, and operating system. The xDedic administrators strategically maintained servers all over the world. Furthermore they utilised Bitcoin to hide the locations of its underlying servers and the identities of its administrators, buyers, and sellers. The victims came from all around the world and involved all kind of industries. This includes local, state, and federal government infrastructure, hospitals, emergency services, major metropolitan transit authorities, accounting and law firms, pension funds, and universities. Authorities believe the website facilitated more than $68,000,000 in fraud. At the beginning of 2018, a Joint Investigative Team (JIT) agreement was signed between the Federal Prosecutor and the Investigating Judge of Belgium and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Europol and Eurojust. Europol organised operational meetings in its headquarters in The Hague and provided operational analysis, forensic support and on the spot support.

Today is Data Protection Day and once again everybody is picking up on a topic which has dominated headlines throughout last year when the GDPR finally became applicable. Let me be honest with you: talking about data protection in the law enforcement community is sometimes still difficult. Since taking over the position of Executive Director in May 2018, I have travelled extensively across Europe. I have spoken to countless law enforcement representatives in order to understand what their precise needs are. I wanted to know their views on how we at Europol can provide them with even better support. Some of these conversations have rather quickly revolved around issues that have a very close link to data protection. I have enjoyed these discussions as I consider myself a ‘data protection believer’. Some might argue that in this sense I represent a minority in the law enforcement community – whether this is true or not does not even matter: I am used to representing minorities and proud to do so!  The concerns I have listened to across the continent are valid and deserve proper reflection. For instance, many online investigators feel that their work has become almost impossible ever since more and more forms of online communication are by default end-to-end encrypted. Furthermore, the internet offers anonymous marketplaces on the Darknet, which are used by criminals to trade all sorts of illegal commodities. This often leaves us with little or no chance to tackle issues such as the sexual exploitation of children but also the investigation of other forms of serious crime and terrorism, which nowadays often have an online communication component. Another challenge for law enforcement is the difference between the various data retention regimes at national level. We are confronted with a situation in which we often have to prioritise our crime analysis based on the shortage of retention periods in a given Member State rather than on operational and crime connected consideration points. I fully understand the need for encryption technologies in our digital information age and the many circumstances in which the legitimate use is essential, for instance for those individuals who have to survive in oppressive regimes. However, law enforcement agencies also need the tools to investigate serious crime and terrorism. Access to retained data, based on an EU legal framework respecting our fundamental rights including the right to data protection, would be essential in this context. Having a legal background myself, I am convinced that as European law enforcement we do not advocate general or indiscriminate data retention. In fact, we are committed to identifying practical ways in order to meet the criteria established by the European Court of Justice is we can ensure a proportionate approach. Last November I had the pleasure of hosting a conference here at Europol addressing the intense public debate about the right balance between freedom and security. This discussion often follows an “either/or logic” along the lines of “You can never have it all!” However, at Europol meanwhile, we are trying to move away from the traditional “balancing” tune. Any notion of balancing “freedom versus security” wrongfully implies a unitary dial: if we turn up our freedoms, we get less security, and if we turn down freedom, we get more security. Freedom and security are viewed as a zero-sum trade-off. There is no doubt that there is a relationship between freedom and security: A change to one will sometimes affect the other. But often it is also possible to increase security without decreasing our freedoms, and sometimes a decrease in privacy leads to no meaningful increase in security. The message I would like to give to you today is: at Europol we work hard to do our job in the right way. We are determined to make Europe a safer place, and full compliance with fundamental rights in Europol’s activities is a part of this safer Europe. I wish you all a happy Data Protection Day! Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol -- Read the Freedom AND Security: killing the zero sum process conference report.  

The takedown by law enforcement in April 2018 of the illegal marketplace webstresser.org as part of Operation Power OFF has given authorities all over Europe and beyond a trove of information about the website’s 151 000 registered users. Coordinated by Europol and the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) with the support of the Dutch Politie and the British National Crime Agency, actions are currently underway worldwide to track down the users of these Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. webstresser.org is believed to have been the world’s biggest marketplace to hire DDoS services, having helped launched over 4 million attacks for as little as € 15.00 a month. In the United Kingdom a number of webstresser.org users have recently been visited by the police, who have seized over 60 personal electronic devices from them for analysis as part of Operation Power OFF. UK police are also conducting a number of live operations against other DDoS criminals; over 250 users of webstresser.org and other DDoS services will soon face action for the damage they have caused. The impact of successful DDoS attacks globally was highlighted recently by the sentencing of a 30-year-old hacker to almost three years imprisonment in the UK  after being found guilty of carrying out DDoS attacks against Liberia’s leading mobile phone and internet company, using rented botnets and stressers before developing his own botnet.  At their peak in November 2016, these DDoS attacks crashed the West African country’s entire internet access with one attack resulting millions of pounds worth of damage. In the Netherlands, the police and the prosecutor’s office have developed a dedicated project, known as Hack_Right, to deal with young first-time offenders in order to prevent them from going onto more serious crimes. A Dutch user of webstresser.org has already received this alternative sanction.   The countries to join the fight against DDoS attacks are Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Australia, Colombia, Serbia, Switzerland, Norway and the United States. While some are focusing their actions against the users of webstresser.org specifically, law enforcement agencies around the world have intensified their activities against the users of DDoS booter and stresser services more generally. To this effect, the FBI seized last December 15 other DDoS-for-hire websites, including the relatively well known Downthem and Quantum Stresser. Similarly, the Romanian police has taken measures against the administrators of 2 smaller-scale DDoS platforms and has seized digital evidence, including information about the users. Size does not matter – all levels of users are under the radar of law enforcement, be it a gamer booting out the competition out of a game, or a high-level hacker carrying out DDoS attacks against commercial targets for financial gain. The DDoS-for-hire trend is a pressing issue, mainly due to how easily accessible it has become. Stresser and booter services have effectively lowered the entry barrier into cybercrime: for a small nominal fee, any low-skilled individual can launch DDoS attacks with the click of a button, knocking offline whole websites and networks by barraging them with traffic. The damage they can do to victims can be considerable, crippling businesses financially and depriving people of essential services offered by banks, government institutions and police forces. Emboldened by a perceived anonymity, many young IT enthusiasts get involved in this seemingly low-level crime, unaware of the consequences that such online activities can carry. Cybercrime isn’t a victimless crime and it is taken extremely seriously by law enforcement. The side effects a criminal investigation could have on the lives of these teenagers can be serious, going as far as a prison sentence in some countries. Skills in coding, gaming, computer programming, cyber security or anything IT-related are in high demand and there are many careers and opportunities available to use these wisely. These actions are implemented in the framework of EMPACT. In 2010 the European Union set up a four-year Policy Cycle to ensure greater continuity in the fight against serious international and organised crime. In 2017 the Council of the EU decided to continue the EU Policy Cycle for the 2018 - 2021 period. It aims to tackle the most significant threats posed by organised and serious international crime to the EU. This is achieved by improving and strengthening cooperation between the relevant services of EU Member States, institutions and agencies, as well as non-EU countries and organisations, including the private sector where relevant.

Today, the UK’s South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), in a joint operation with the Hessen State Police in Germany, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Europol, has arrested a 36 year-old individual on suspicion of fraud, theft and money laundering. The man was arrested by SEROCU following a search warrant carried out at an address in the city of Oxford, UK. A number of computers and electronic devices were also seized.  The operation was launched following the theft of around €10 million in the IOTA cryptocurrency from over 85 victims worldwide since January 2018. The investigation began in early 2018 when the Hessen State Police received several reports from citizens of money been stolen from their cryptocurrency wallets. Further investigations revealed the existence of fraud from the website Iotaseed.io, targeting the users of the IOTA cryptocurrency. IOTA wallets are protected by an 81 digit seed, which can be generated using seed-generators found online, such as on the official IOTA website. Among the sites promoted online was a malicious seed-generator running on iotaseed.io. Several victims created the seed on this website in good faith, however the seeds were stored in the background by the service provider. Later the criminal used these to gain access to the victims’ wallets and transferred their money to other wallets created with fake IDs.　 In July 2018, German authorities identified a possible suspect behind the fraud case living in the UK. The case was given to the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) hosted at Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), where analytical support delivered allowed the J-CAT to coordinate the international cooperation between the different EU Member States involved.  In addition, an operational meeting was organised at Europol’s headquarters between German and British investigators and Europol’s EC3. The meeting proved to be an invaluable asset for the smooth exchange of intelligence and evidence between the German and British authorities, which has led to this arrest. Watch video>

On 14 January, some 200 officers from the Gendarmerie Nationale (French Gendarmerie) and Customs, with on-the-field support of Europol, targeted suspects across France believed to be part of an Eurasian mafia group composed mainly of Armenian individuals involved in large-scale poly-criminal activities, including cigarette smuggling, extortion and money laundering. Over 27 house searches were carried out in Rennes, Gap, St. Etienne, Nancy, Strasbourg, Haguenau, Reims, Chalon-Sur-Saone, Paris, Nantes, Limoges and Brest. As a result, 21 suspects were arrested, including an individual believed to be a high-ranking member of this mafia group. Some €23 000 in cash were seized at the premises, alongside over 2 000 packs of cigarettes, 23 kg of raw tobacco and 6 weapons. The sting follows a lengthy and complex investigation supported by the Spanish and the German authorities looking into the activities of this criminal network. The suspects used a special modus operandi were cars were used a mean of payment for further criminal actions (ie. the exchange of drugs or cigarettes against cars).　 Europol supported the investigation for the past year and a half by facilitating the exchange of information. On the action day, 2 Europol experts were deployed in Rennes to allow for real-time exchange of information and cross-checks of the data gathered in the course of the action against Europol’s databases.

After almost two years of a complex and lengthy investigation, the French Gendarmerie, supported by Europol, swooped on a criminal network behind the trafficking of high-value vehicles, estimated of having generated €4 million in criminal revenue. On the early morning of 14 January, 130 gendarmes carried out 13 house searches in Nimes (France), which resulted in the arrest of 13 suspects and the seizure of 26 vehicles. Several tens of thousands of euros were also frozen on bank accounts.   The illegal activities of this criminal network were carried across borders: after being stolen in Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands, the vehicles were ringed and sold locally in Nimes. The suspects focused on stealing prestigious brands, like Porsche and Lamborghini.   Involved in the investigation for the past year, Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support before and during the action day. A mobile office was deployed on-the-spot in Nimes to help with the cross-checking in real-time of operational information against Europol’s databases.

An organised criminal group recruiting dozens of women into sham marriages was detected and dismantled by Belgian and Portuguese authorities, with the active support of Europol and Eurojust. Altogether 17 suspects were arrested today in Belgium and 3 in Portugal in an internationally coordinated action day. The criminal group was involved in the facilitation of illegal immigration by organising sham marriages, predominately between Portuguese and Pakistani nationals. Portuguese women were recruited to marry Pakistani men they had never met and in return, received several thousands of euros. The couples then travelled to Belgium, where the wives were soon employed by (believed to be bogus) Belgian companies. By purchasing shares in the companies, this allowed the husbands to stay in the EU, obtain resident permits and then profit unjustly from social and other benefits. The shares were later transferred between the wives, allowing new recruits to become partners of the companies. The women usually travelled back to Portugal and would occasionally return to Belgium for police and immigration checks. The investigation started in Belgium by the Belgian Federal Police in 2015 after authorities discovered a suspicious increase in the number of mixed marriage certificates in Ieper (Belgium). Due to the international nature of the crime, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was set up which culminated in a Joint Action Day today, 15 January 2019. Today’s operation was conducted simultaneously in Ieper and Brussels and in Lisbon and Algarve (Portugal). To facilitate direct cooperation, Belgian officers were present in Portugal while their Portuguese counterparts from the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) travelled to Belgium. In Belgium, 18 house searches were carried out and 43 irregular migrants were discovered, mostly of Pakistani origin. Counterfeit documents and mobile devices were seized for further investigation. In Portugal, law enforcement arrested three suspects, searched nine houses and seized various pieces of technological equipment (laptops, desktops and other mobile devices). Europol supported the joint operation on-the-spot. Analysts were deployed to Belgium and Portugal for real-time information cross-checks and mobile phone forensics. This coordinated international cooperation proved very useful in the dismantling of this criminal network.

The Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) arrested 83 individuals. Officers detected 28 professional tennis players involved in this case. One of them took part in the last US Open. An organised crime group involved in manipulating professional tennis competitions was dismantled in an operation led by the Spanish Civil Guard and coordinated by the National High Court of Spain (Audiencia Nacional), supported by Europol. In total 83 suspects were arrested, 28 of them are professional players. Armenian gang watching over the matches The investigation was triggered in 2017 when the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) denounced irregular activities related to pre-arranged matches in the ITF Futures and Challenger tournaments. The suspects bribed professional players to guarantee predetermined results and used the identities of thousands of citizens to bet on the pre-arranged games. A criminal group of Armenian individuals used a professional tennis player, who acted as the link between the gang and the rest of the criminal group. Once they bribed the players, the Armenian network members attended the matches to ensure that the tennis players complied with what was previously agreed, and gave orders to other members of the group to go ahead with the bets placed at national and international level. On the action day, 11 house searches were carried out in Spain in which €167 000 in cash was seized, alongside a shotgun, over 50 electronic devices, credit cards, five luxury vehicles and documentation related to the case. Furthermore, 42 bank accounts and their balances have been frozen. Europol has supported the investigation from the beginning by providing continued analytical support. On the action day, three Europol experts were deployed to Spain to provide on-the-spot assistance including real-time cross-checks, IT forensic support, and data analysis during the operation. International police cooperation across the European Union and beyond is a crucial factor in the fight against sports corruption. Watch the video

With the support of Europol and Eurojust, 12 Lithuanians suspected of luxury car theft in Germany were arrested earlier this week in Germany and Lithuania as part of a coordinated swoop against this organised crime group. Operation JIT EWALD resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Germany and eight in Lithuania. Altogether 6 premises were searched in Germany and 11 in Kaunas and Vilnius, Lithuania. The German authorities initiated an international investigation in November 2018 after receiving information that Lithuanian citizens had been targeting luxurious cars in Germany and then selling them outside of the EU. The damage done by this organised crime group is valued at over €1.5 million. Europol, the European Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, supported the investigation by facilitating information exchange and deploying experts and a mobile office on-the-spot in Lithuania. A joint investigation team (JIT) involving German and Lithuanian officers was set-up with the support of Eurojust, the European agency dealing with judicial co-operation in criminal matters. JITs are teams formed jointly by national law enforcement agencies to handle cross-border crime. Joint investigation teams coordinate the investigations and prosecutions conducted in parallel by several countries.

Police officers from the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), together with the Argentine National Gendarmerie, the Italian Finance Corps (Guardia di Finanza) and Europol have dismantled a criminal organisation responsible for cocaine trafficking from South America to Italy and Spain. Almost 50 suspects were arrested thanks to this joint operation involving more than 750 police officers: 31 in Spain, 17 in Argentina and 3 suspects are under investigation in Italy. This organised crime group was involved in the cultivation, sale and distribution of marijuana in the Costa del Sol region in southern Spain, and cocaine trafficking via maritime containers from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru to Europe. The suspects, living in Argentina and Spain, were laundering money coming from the drug activities, sending it back from Europe to Argentina to then invest it into the property market. The Argentine law enforcement authorities have had this international criminal group on their radar for the last decade. Since the start of the European investigation in 2017, the suspects moved more than two tonnes of cocaine: 1 200 kg seized by the Spanish National Police and 1 100 kg by Argentine National Gendarmerie when it was being transported from Bolivia to Argentina, destined to Europe. During a Joint Action Day on 12 December 2018, 31 suspects were arrested in Spain, 17 in Argentina and 3 people are under investigation in Italy. In Spain, 25 house searches were carried out. Europol has supported this case from the beginning, providing both analytical and forensic support. On the day of the arrests, Europol experts were deployed on the spot, assisting the Spanish authorities with mobile forensics. In Argentina, more than 60 properties were searched and the authorities seized €350 000, numerous vehicles and 47 properties. The Italian Finance Corps conducted five house searches.

In 2018 the Member States of the European Union joined forces with Europol and its institutional partners to fight organised crime groups active in the ten priority crime areas which fall under the European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats (EMPACT). The outcomes of the Joint Action Days exemplify the tremendous impact that they had on some of the EU’s most threatening organised crime groups. 2018 EMPACT results: 1 026 investigations initiated; Over €1.4 million in cash seized 1 137 suspects arrested; 337 victims of human trafficking identified (including 52 minors); 730 kg of heroin seized 207 firearms seized. Over the course of 2018, eight cross-border law enforcement operations targeted serious international and organised crime in the EMPACT priority crime areas of: cybercrime; drug trafficking; facilitation of illegal immigration; organised property crime; trafficking in human beings; excise and MTIC fraud; illicit firearms trafficking; environmental crime; criminal finances and money laundering; document fraud. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle: “I am very pleased to see this year’s results of the Joint Action Days 2018. They are more than just numbers and figures, as they clearly show how successful strategically planned international cooperation with strong partners can be. The EMPACT priority crime areas are the major crime threats facing the EU and the Joint Action Days involve complex international investigations. Every day we at Europol strive to provide analytical and operational support to the Member States in combating his kind of international and organised crime.” The European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos: “Security threats today are rapidly evolving and multiplying. Whether it is fighting cyber or organised crime, drugs or firearms trafficking, or terrorism, the only way we can do this effectively is through joint efforts. This is precisely what the intensified cooperation between Member States and Europol has demonstrated over the past year. Europol has been an essential partner in targeted and joint actions on the ground, delivering a Europe that effectively protects its citizens.” European Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King: “The most dangerous security threats we face today are cross-border in nature – criminals and terrorists are no respecters of national boundaries. That’s why we need strong and committed cooperation in the EU between all actors, as the excellent results of the EMPACT Joint Action Days show. Europol is a vital part of this cooperation, and I look forward to a similarly successful 2019.” Herbert Kickl, Austria's Minister of the Interior on behalf of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2018: “This is another example of the outstanding results EU law enforcement can achieve together with Europol and international partners. These operations are also the final highlight of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU, whose motto “a Europe that protects” has been turned into reality.“ As the European law enforcement platform for information exchange, Europol supported the Joint Action Days with operational coordination, secure information exchange, cross-checking of data and operational analysis, as well as on-the-spot support. The EMPACT Joint Action Days 2018 are the fifth in a series of Joint Action Days as part of the EU Policy Cycle and the first under the new 2018 – 2021 EU Policy Cycle. The policy cycle is a methodology adopted in 2010 by the EU to address the most important criminal threats affecting the EU. Each cycle lasts four years and optimises coordination and cooperation on chosen crime priorities. The EMPACT Joint Action Days 2018 follow the successful operations 2017 Dragon; 2016 Ciconia Alba; 2015 Blue Amber; and 2014 Archimedes. The Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) of the Council of the EU has provided strategic guidance for the planning of the Joint Action Days and is monitoring their implementation. For the current EU Policy Cycle 2018-2021, Europol will use the EMPACT brand name to promote the Joint Action Days in the fight against international crime.  

Four arrest warrants were issued this morning against two Germans, one Jordanian and one Polish national between the ages of 30 and 52. 18 search warrants in Berlin, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony against 16 other suspects were issued as well. As a result of the house searches, various pieces of evidence were confiscated, among which eight cars, a motorcycle, various data carriers, specialised tools for breaking into vehicles as well as cash and drugs. The operation involved around 250 police officers and was supported by Europol. Yesterday, investigators already arrested a 46-year-old suspended police officer, who is allegedly involved in the case. The complex investigation was coordinated by a specialised Office for Organized Crime at the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office. Overall 23 suspects of different nationalities were identified and accused of different crimes; among them theft, fraud, falsification of documents and violations of the arms act as well as bribery. The investigations were initiated in November 2017, and revealed the registration of vehicles in addition to falsified Slovenian and Austrian documents as well as falsified registration certificates from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The investigations covered various EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, and Sweden) as well as Algeria.　 　

An international operation successfully dismantled an organised crime group, suspect of money laundering and illegally trading gold. Italy's Guardia di Finanza (Bologna) led the operation. The Guardia di Finanza handles all areas of financial crime. Europol supported the case with codename Pietra Filosofale. House searches were carried out on 12 December in the Italian regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Ten members of the targeted organised crime group were arrested. During the operation, the Guardia di Finanza seized EUR 260 000. There are four arrest warrants for criminals in Romania and Turkey. The members of the organised crime group came from China, Italy, Romania and Turkey. In addition, the Judge for Preliminary the Investigations in Bologna ordered to freeze EUR 7.4 million in assets. The aim of the operation was to dismantle the group, which was active in international money laundering. The Guardia di Finanza had been collecting evidence against the group for two years. The investigation led to the seizure of over 70 kg of gold (valued at EUR 2.5 million) and EUR 1.5 million in cash. The main target, a 50-year-old Turkish national collected cash from Chinese businesspeople to commit tax evasion. He invested the collected cash and bought gold, which he traded on the legal gold market. He then transferred the profits to bank accounts in Romania and Turkey, and eventually to bank accounts in the UK owned by the Chinese criminals who led the crime group. International cooperation via Italy’s Guardia di Finanza and Europol played a crucial role in this complex case. Europol facilitated the rapid exchange of information and provided investigators with qualified support.

All over Europe, law enforcement agencies performed actions against suspects who bought counterfeit euro banknotes on illegal platforms on the Darknet. These actions, coordinated by Europol, started on 19 November and the majority of interventions took place from 3 to 6 December In total, almost 300 house searches were conducted in 13 different countries and 235 suspects were detained. Law enforcement also seized around 1 500 counterfeit euro banknotes. Drugs, weapons (firearms, nunchaku, illegal knives and blades), computers, mobile phones, Bitcoins and hardware for mining virtual currencies were also seized. In addition, German authorities discovered two marijuana growing facilities and in France one additional illegal euro counterfeit print shop and one cannabis plantation were discovered. These joint actions are a direct result of a successful case handled by the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office in June in 2018 and supported by Europol, when a print shop was dismantled in Leoben, central Austria, and the producer was arrested. The suspect was making counterfeit 10, 20 and 50 euro banknotes and sold them on several illegal Darknet marketplaces. Over 10 000 counterfeit banknotes were shipped to buyers all over Europe. During the raid, the Austrian police found evidence of his transactions and communicated this data to Europol. This information was analysed, enhanced and forwarded to all the affected countries. During an operational meeting at Europol’s headquarters, the Member States decided to organise a coordinated action to achieve the best results possible. Earlier this week, Germany performed around 180 house searches, 28 were performed in France, 20 in Italy, 20 in Austria and actions also took place in Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Investigations in several countries are still ongoing. This joint effort of European law enforcement agencies shows once again that anonymity on the Darknet can be tackled with good international cooperation. Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Wil van Gemert, said: “This joint effort highlights that complete anonymity on the internet and the Darknet doesn’t exist. When you engage in illegal activity online, be prepared to have police knocking on your door sooner or later. Europol will continue to assist Member States in their efforts of protecting the euro against counterfeiting, both in the real world as in the virtual one.”

Illegal fireworks are a huge Europe-wide problem. Their unregulated distribution causes considerable safety risks to those shipping and buying them due to their substantial explosive character, as well as millions of euro in tax losses for some economies. A remarkably high level of cooperation and coordination among judicial, police and customs authorities, and the extensive support of Eurojust and Europol, contributed to the successful dismantling of this sophisticated organised crime group (OCG). Action days in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany in the past three weeks have resulted in 35 OCG members arrested in Poland, nine of whom are still detained, and the seizure of fireworks, the blocking of webshops and more than 150 searches of residences and businesses. Four webshops involved in the sale of the illegal fireworks by the OCG, bombashop.com, ultrasshop.com, psychoeffect.eu and pyrofans.eu, were blocked at the request of the Dutch authorities, and their data were seized. In Poland, 80 tons of F4 fireworks were seized from a warehouse, an amount large enough to fill four large shipping containers. Unmarked parcels containing illegal fireworks were also intercepted and seized in Poland, the Netherlands and Germany prior to distribution to the buyers, thus avoiding possible harm to innocent people, including postal employees. The members of the OCG are being investigated by the Polish authorities for participation in a criminal organisation, trafficking in pyrotechnic material and explosives, tax fraud and money laundering. The Polish investigation targeted the OCG, which was active since 2012. The OCG, primarily composed of Polish nationals, was involved in the trafficking of fireworks illegally sold online to clients throughout Europe, and shipped by courier and normal post in unmarked packages. The OCG was suspected to have shipped approximately 1 500 kg of pyrotechnics, including approximately 500 kg of F4 class, every day to different Member States. The German investigation targeted the buyers of illegal fireworks in Germany, who ordered via one of the webshops without possessing licences for explosives. During simultaneous house searches of the 50 suspects throughout Germany, customs authorities seized large amounts of pyrotechnics, improvised explosive devices, firearms and ammunition. Several houses required evacuation to ensure that the pyrotechnics and explosives could be removed safely. In addition, 74 allegedly illegal postal shipments, with a gross weight of approximately 400 kg, were detected and checked at courier services. Pyrotechnics inside the shipments were seized. The objective of the Dutch investigation was to halt the activities of middlemen and consumers, as well as the distribution of illegal fireworks on behalf of the OCG in the Netherlands. The Dutch authorities blocked Dutch Instagram accounts from which illegal fireworks were sold. In preparation for the action day, multiple European Investigation Orders (EIOs) were exchanged between Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and France requesting searches of premises and seizures. Eurojust enhanced cooperation between parties and promoted discussions about the goals of the actions. It also supported coordination of the investigations during coordination meetings and facilitated the execution of EIOs. At Europol, multiple operational meetings were held since 2017. Data from the servers used by the online webshops was analysed, and intelligence packages were shared with all the involved Member States, informing them about suspicious clients who ordered pyrotechnics from these different webshops. Europol experts were sent to Poland to support the police actions there. Thanks to the success of this action, the flow of illegal fireworks in Europe has been greatly reduced, just in time to interrupt the New Year’s buying season.

The irregular migrants were smuggled from Vietnam via South America and finally into the EU in groups of 6 to 12 individuals. Each group was led by an English-speaking smuggler who travelled with them from the beginning and facilitated the communication during the journey. The network received EUR 18 000 from each migrant, which could be paid using several payment methods: either they paid the amount in their home country, gave up their land and property, or they paid in kind once in Europe through unpaid work. It is estimated that the criminal network gained over EUR 13 million. Ten house searches and over 100 beauty salons inspected After an eleven-month investigation, the Spanish Policía Nacional discovered that the migrant smuggling group was primarily based in Barcelona. The officers then searched ten houses and inspected over 100 beauty salons across the country. Law enforcement seized four vehicles, several devices and more than EUR 60 000 from the searches. Altogether 37 individuals were arrested, among them European ringleaders and an official who worked at the foreign office in Huelva, southern Spain, and who had links with a Vietnamese businessman. Both individuals helped counterfeit residency documents for the migrants. Europol supported the operation by providing full analytical support in the early stages of the investigation. During the coordinated operational activities, an expert from Europol was deployed for on-the-spot support with a mobile office and a Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED).

Two suspects of more than 20 high-profile burglaries in Germany were arrested on 5 December 2018 in Moldova. The arrests are the result of a successful international criminal investigation by the German and Moldovan authorities, supported by Europol. The burglars made their way into the victims’ houses through the roof, causing more than EUR 20 million worth of damage. Since 2017, the Hamburg law enforcement authorities (the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Hamburg and Hamburg Police) have been investigating a series of domestic burglary cases in the city of Hamburg and other areas in Germany. The offences are characterised by a special modus operandi: the offenders first remove panels from the roof of their victim’s house and then cut a hole in the film to gain access. The total damage in Hamburg alone amounts to more than EUR 20 million from 22 separate burglaries. Thanks to successful information sharing with the French authorities, a Moldovan suspect was identified, who then led police to investigate a Moldovan criminal group linked to the initial suspect. The investigations in Germany were carried out in close coordination with police authorities in the federal states of Berlin, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein. In addition, the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany was closely involved in the investigation and supported it from the ISF project PRINZ Europol supported several operational meetings with Moldovan law enforcement authorities held between the end of 2017 and October 2018. The meetings revealed that the criminal group was linked to ongoing investigations by the Moldovan authorities. It was agreed that the investigations in both countries should be carried out at the same time. The concentrated approach of all partners involved proved to be very valuable and decisive in the success of this cross-border investigation. Based on the German and Moldavian investigations, extensive judicial measures were ordered against this organised crime group. These measures included search warrants for 18 residential properties, 3 arrest warrants and a freezing order. The actions took place on 5 and 6 December in Moldova, with on-the-spot support from judicial and law enforcement authorities from Hamburg and Europol. Two suspects were arrested yesterday and a few more during the investigation. Several weapons, EUR 25 000 cash, jewellery and luxury watches were seized.

Unique joint investigation by judiciary and police forces in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Belgium culminates in the largest, coordinated joint action against an organised criminal group to date in Europe. During a joint action day starting in the early hours of 5 December 2018, judicial and law enforcement authorities in the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg have taken coordinated and decisive action against the ‘Ndrangheta. This aggressive, mafia-style organised criminal group is one of the most powerful criminal networks in the world, and controls much of Europe's cocaine trade, combined with systematic money laundering, bribery and violent acts. The operation, code-named ‘Pollino’, is the biggest of its kind to date in Europe. Several hundred police, including special intervention units, were engaged in today’s action, together with prosecutors and investigative officers. The judicial authorities and law enforcement agencies involved have been working intensively together since 2016, including in a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) supported by Eurojust - the EU’s Judicial Cooperation Unit and Europol in The Hague, to prepare the action.  As a result of close cooperation, almost than 4,000 kg of cocaine and hundreds of kilos of other drugs have been detected across Europe during the course of the investigation.  By 12.00 on the action day,  84 suspects have been reported arrested, including high-ranking members of the mafia network. An estimated EUR 2 million in criminal assets are expected to be seized and many witness hearings and house searches will be conducted, securing important evidence to be used at trial. Actions are also taking place in Suriname.   The case originated in 2014 when the Dutch Fiscal, Information and investigation Service (FIOD) referred an investigation of possible money laundering to Eurojust. The investigation looked into partners of Italian restaurants in Horst and Venray in the Netherlands and showed connections to the Nordrhein-Westfalen region in Germany as well as to criminal activity in Reggio Calabria in southern Italy. The Dutch desk at Eurojust therefore proactively encouraged the other countries concerned to look into the case. The ‘Ndrangheta mafia network, that has its base in Southern Italy, is known to operate by starting legitimate businesses in other countries as a cover to expand overseas, smuggling drugs, laundering illicit profits and claim new territories as areas under their control. By splitting the activities per country, the mafia network aims to exploit legal differences between criminal jurisdictions and to escape attention, since each crime, if only investigated separately, may appear as an isolated act rather than part of an international operation.  The creation of a Joint Investigation Team by The Netherlands, Italy and Germany for Operation Pollino in October 2016 had a catalytic effect on the scale and intensity of the investigation. Essentially a legal framework, a JIT is a platform for judiciary and police from different countries to work directly together in a specific case and systematically exchange operational information. Step by step, the authorities involved in Operation Pollino, including investigative judges, worked  very intensively together to lay the puzzle, pool their knowledge and creativity in order to establish a joint strategy and uncover the actual magnitude and complexity of the criminal activity of the ‘Ndrangheta.   The exchange of evidence, which is essential to build solid prosecution cases, has been an important element to prepare today’s action. It is the first JIT with the participation of Italy. The practical support through EU Agencies like Eurojust and Europol has played a crucial role in Operation Pollino.  The JIT has been facilitated and financed by Eurojust, who also organised of a series coordination meetings to regularly bring the actors together, support the development of a joint strategy and facilitate the mutual understanding of the different judicial systems  at critical juncures of the investigation. Europol has contributed through extensive data analysis by in the context of Analysis Project ITOC, which supports cases investigating the criminal activities of mafia-structured OCGs originating in Italy and impacting other Member States. During the joint action day, prosecutors from the judicial authorities followed the action in real-time from the coordination centre at Eurojust, which allows for swift analysis of new data as it is being collected during the action and makes it possible to adapt the strategy as required. Europol has also assisted the Italian police with in the field with a mobile office. Filippo Spiezia, Vice-President of Eurojust and National Member for Italy, said: ‘Today, we send a clear message to organised crime groups across Europe. They are not the only ones able to operate across borders: so are Europe’s judiciary and law enforcement communities. By working together and using the unique tools at our disposal in the EU,  such as the possibility to form a Joint Investigation Team and with the practical support through EU Agencies like Eurojust and Europol, we are able to detect, investigate and prosecute this kind of serious, organised crime.” As of 11:00 on the joint action day, the following actions and results have been reported:  The Netherlands: 5 arrests. Seizures of almost 4,000 kg cocaine and 140 kg of XTC pills. Dutch investigators from FIOD and the Dutch Police have also helped to search in Italy and Germany. Authorities involved: The Fiscal, Information and investigation Service (FIOD), the Special Affairs Team, Eindhoven, Police National Unit, Dutch National Prosecution Service] Italy: The main focus has been in the regions Calabria and Catanzaro in Northern Italy. There have been 41 arrests. Authorities involved: Office of the public prosecutor Reggio Calabria Central Operative Service of the State Police (SCO) State Police Investigative Department of Reggio Calabria; Central Service of Investigation of the Guardia di Finanza (SCICO) Police Command for financial investigation of Guardia di Finanza (Valutaria GdF) Operational antidrug department of the Guardia di Finanza of Reggio Calabria (GOA) Germany: The main focus has been in the western parts of North Rhine-Westphalia due to its proximity to the ARA harbours.  There have been 15 arrests and [+6 in a related operation] Authorities involved: Staatsanwaltschaft Duisburg Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) There has also been close cooperation with other German Italian Organised Crime investigations, especially with the Organised Crime Units of the Landeskriminalamt NRW as well as the Office of the Public Prosecutor and the Police in Cologne, where coordinated arrests and searches have been executed today. Belgium: The main focus has been in Maasmechelen in Limburg. There have been 4 arrests and [+10 in a related operation] Authorities involved: The Public Prosecutor’s Office Limburg, The Federal Judicial Police, Limburg, Local Police of Lanaken-Maasmechelen, Limburg Luxembourg: Two suspects have been arrested and the national investigation is ongoing. Authorities involved: Police Lëtzebuerg Parquet de Luxembourg Cabinet d'instruction Luxembourg

168 arrested, 1504 money mules and 140 money mule organisers identified, as a result of the fourth European Money Mule Action ‘EMMA 4’, a global law enforcement action week tackling the issue of money muling. The action took place over the course of three months (September-November 2018). 30 States took part in EMMA 4, alongside Europol, Eurojust, the European Banking Federation, supported by more than 300 banks. The joint money muling campaign #DontBeAMule kicks off today to alert the public to this crime. Working together with Europol, Eurojust and the European Banking Federation (EBF) , police forces from over 20 States arrested 168 people (so far) as part of a coordinated money laundering crackdown, the European Money Mule Action (EMMA). This international swoop, the fourth of its kind, was intended to tackle the issue of ‘money mules’, who help criminals launder millions of euros worth of dirty money. Held over the course of the past three months (September-November 2018), this year’s edition of EMMA saw the participation of law enforcement agencies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Moldova, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Across Europe and beyond, 1504 money mules were identified, leading to the arrest of 168, and 140 money mule organisers. 837 criminal investigations were opened, many of them are still ongoing. More than 300 banks, 20 bank associations and other financial institutions helped to report 26376 fraudulent money mule transactions, preventing a total loss of €36,1 million. The wider community of global and European banks provided support where needed during the three months of action and committed to raising awareness in their country. Once again, this highlights the importance of a quick and coordinated response by law enforcement and the banking sector. Why do people help criminals launder money? Money mules are individuals who, often unwittingly, have been recruited by criminal organisations as money laundering agents to hide the origin of ill-gotten money. Tricked by the promise of easy money, mules transfer stolen funds between accounts, often in different States, on behalf of others and are usually offered a share of the funds that pass through their own accounts. Newcomers to a State, the unemployed, and people in economic distress often feature among the most susceptible to this crime. This year, cases involving young people selected by money mule recruiters are on the rise, with criminals increasingly targeting financially-distressed students to gain access to their bank accounts. While mules are being recruited via numerous routes, criminals are more and more turning to social media to recruit new accomplices, through the advertisement of fake jobs or get-rich-quick posts. Although this may sound like quick and easy money — all it takes is a click to transfer money from an account to another — permitting a criminal group to use one’s bank account can have severe legal consequences. Mules may face lengthy imprisonments and acquire a criminal record that could seriously affect the rest of their lives, such as never being able to secure a mortgage or open a bank account #DontBeAMule To raise awareness of this type of fraud, the money muling awareness campaign #DontBeAMule kicks off today across Europe. With awareness-raising material, available for download in 25 languages, the campaign will inform the public about how these criminals operate, how they can protect themselves and what to do if they become a victim. For the next week, international partners from law enforcement and judicial authorities, together with financial institutions, will be supporting the campaign at national level. Do you think you might be used as a mule? Act now before it is too late: stop transferring money and notify your bank and your national police immediately.

The Commissioner General of the National Police Agency of Japan (NPA), Shunichi Kuryu, and Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, today signed a Working Arrangement to initiate cooperation between Europol and Japan to combat international cross-border crime. The Working Arrangement will allow both parties to enhance future cooperative relations in the fight against terrorism, drugs, cybercrime and other relevant crime areas by establishing a secure communication line. The secondment of a liaison officer to Europol’s Headquarters will also facilitate the cooperation between Japan and the Member States of the European Union (EU). This will ensure the secure, timely and direct exchange of information between Europol and the NPA. This new level of collaboration is vital for tackling serious crime affecting both the EU and Japan. The signing ceremony for this Working Arrangement on 3 December was held at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Catherine De Bolle said: “This working arrangement will establish cooperative relations between Europol and NPA to support the EU Member States and Japan in preventing and combating serious and organised crime, terrorism and other forms of international crime. Organised crime groups are as varied as the markets they service and the activities they engage in. In many cases, they reflect the societies, cultures and value systems they originate from. As societies globally become more interconnected and international in outlook, organised crime is now also more connected and internationally active than ever before. I am confident that today’s signed arrangement will facilitate effective cooperation between Europol and Japanese law enforcement agencies, making us all safer.” Commissioner General Shunichi Kuryu said: “This arrangement will establish a solid framework between the National Police Agency of Japan and Europol that will enable us to cooperate to combat crimes timely and effectively, in addition to the cooperation through the existing Agreement between Japan and the European Union on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. We especially value the opportunity of sending a liaison officer to Europol and enhancing the cooperation, as Japan will host the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.”

On 29 November 2018, Europol’s European Union Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) organised its 12th joint Referral Action Day with the national referral units of seven Member States and third parties, including Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Portugal and the United Kingdom. This joint action was coordinated from Europol’s headquarters in The Hague and targeted online material linked to terrorist activities. During the Referral Action Day, the parties involved thoroughly reviewed the referral process, from the detection of terrorist content to its flagging to the online service providers. The focus of this continuous initiative included the detection and referral of terrorist content from ten file sharing platforms. A total amount of 7 393 items were assessed and referred to the participating online platforms with a request to be reviewed against their terms of service. Europol promotes cooperative relations to combat terrorist online propaganda. Similar joint actions will continue to be organised frequently. Based within Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) , the EU IRU detects and investigates terrorist content on the internet. Furthermore the Unit produces strategic insights into jihadist terrorism and provides support to law enforcement authorities in the EU Member States in online criminal investigations.

Joint operation in four EU Member States: the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Lithuania, coordinated by the Dutch National Police Several hits led to further investigations by the German and Lithuanian authorities The operation was coordinated from Europol’s Coordination Centre Between 14 and 16 November 2018, law enforcement authorities from four EU Member States (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Lithuania), coordinated by the Dutch National Police and with the support of Europol, carried out the fifth edition of operation Trivium targeting mobile organised crime groups (MOCGs) and their infrastructure across the EU. Europol hosted and coordinated the operation from the Coordination Centre, which was set up at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague with Dutch, German and Lithuanian authorities deployed to Europol and the Belgian authorities joining remotely. During the operation, police checked 350 people and over 130 vehicles in participating countries, which resulted in more than 40 hits and over 50 arrests. The multi-agency operation Trivium, launched in 2013, aims to tackle foreign national offenders who use the EU’s road network with a specific focus on disrupting criminality. Since the beginning, this operation has enjoyed growth and success across several operations. So far 58 746 vehicles have been checked and 36 997 activities carried out. Furthermore, this operation enhances road safety and the levels of trust and confidence in local communities by delivering law enforcement and educational activities – such as road traffic controls on personal and freight vehicles – which are designed to tackle criminality.  

The Operational Network (@ON) strengthens international police cooperation on mafia-style criminal groups, making it possible for EU Member States to request, in coordination with Europol, the deployment of specialised investigators. The Italian Anti-mafia Investigation Department / Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (D.I.A.) prepared the project supported by Europol and authorities from Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. The main criminal groups to be addressed are mafia-style Italian organised crime groups, Eurasian and Albanian criminal networks and Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. The ONNET project, financed by the European Commission for 24 months, aims to fund the @ON network, which is composed of Italy (D.I.A. as a driver), Belgium (Federal Police), France (National Police and Gendarmerie Nationale), Germany (Federal Criminal Police Office), the Netherlands (National Police) and Spain (National Police and Guardia Civil). Kick-off meeting at Europol headquarters The overarching objective of the network is to achieve advanced international operational police cooperation by exchanging information, monitoring high-level criminals and addressing international investigations. Furthermore, the grant will support the implementation of the @ON network and the promotion of high-level conferences. The project’s main aim is to provide operational support with specialised investigative units in EU Member States and relevant third parties accredited by Europol. Investigators from the project, who are specialised in this criminal phenomenon, can be deployed to the Member States involved. The project was officially launched on 1 November at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. General Giuseppe Governale, Director of the D.I.A, will lead the project together with the international partners of ONNET and Europol representatives. Director Governale opened the project and held the first meeting together with the Head Europol’s European Serious Organised Crime Centre, Jari Liukku. The Italian Carabinieri General highlighted “The ONNET project, the @ON countries, with the support of Europol’s Organised Criminal Groups (OCG) team, will be able to propose a different, cross-cutting action, targeting criminal organisations as such, represented by the high-value targets (HVT) of criminal networks. ONNET will complement the current lack of EU funds in the fight against mafia-type criminal organisations, which is, at present, not an EMPACT priority (European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats).” Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Wil van Gemert, underlined the operational nature of the project and added: “The number of organised crime groups in the EU Member States is increasing and they have become more poly-criminal. This project represents a unique opportunity for Europol to provide full support to the law enforcement agencies to tackle these top-level international criminal groups constituting the highest risk to the EU Member States. What will be crucial for the projects to succeed will be identifying high-level criminals and setting up operational task forces between the countries involved to tackle these organised criminal groups and finally bring them to justice.

Countries from the EU and beyond worked together to seize domains selling fake products. Twelve suspects arrested and accounts worth over EUR 1 million seized. The Operation IOS (In Our Sites), now in its ninth year, is more successful than ever. As part of an international operation, Europol’s Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC3) has seized 33.654 domain names distributing counterfeit and pirated items online. The websites distrusted items such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals, pirated films, television shows, music, software, electronics and other bogus products. The joint international operation also involved the US National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center1 and law enforcement authorities from 26 countries including EU Member States and third parties2, which was facilitated by INTERPOL. Operation In Our Sites (IOS) is a continuation of a recurrent joint global operation, which was launched in 2014 and has since significantly increased. The ninth edition of this worldwide operation in 2018 saw an even larger range of anti-counterfeiting associations, brand owner representatives and law enforcement authorities taking part to facilitate international cooperation and support the countries involved in this initiative. This year’s operation IOS IX has seen a remarkable increase from the previous edition, where 20 520 domain names were seized as they were illegally trading counterfeit merchandise online. This is a result of Europol’s comprehensive approach to make the internet a safer place for consumers by encouraging more countries and private-sector partners to participate in this operation and provide referrals. In addition to the seized domain names, officials also arrested 12 suspects, blocked hardware devices, identified and froze more than EUR 1 million in several bank accounts, online payment platforms and a virtual currency farm used by the organised criminal groups. Europol, in cooperation with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), continues to enhance such efforts by successfully supporting many high-priority investigations related to online crimes, providing training related to online investigations, and organising conferences such as the annual Intellectual Property Crime Conference. To continuously raise awareness of this growing threat, Europol’s IPC3 launched the campaign “Don’t F***(ake) Up”. The campaign informs citizens of the risks of buying fake products online and provides forthright advice to help identify illicit websites that sell counterfeit goods, as well as other means used by counterfeiters, such as fake social media accounts and fake apps. ---------------- 1 The Center comprises US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 2  Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong- China, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Republic of Moldova,  Republic of Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.

Wanted by the Belgian authorities, the fugitive is suspected of carrying out more than 20 robberies with extreme violence, as well as other crimes such as drug trafficking and the illegal trade of firearms. He laundered the illicit proceeds from his crimes in Belgium via a restaurant in Spain.  Arrested following a European Arrest Warrant. With the support of Europol, the Spanish Guardia Civil, in coordination with the Belgian Federal Police, and the Belgian and Spanish judicial authorities, have arrested a Belgian fugitive described as “very dangerous’’ in Torrevieja, south-east Spain. He escaped from Belgium in January 2018 after committing more than 20 robberies with extreme violence and had been wanted by the Belgian authorities ever since. The suspect belonged to an organised crime group and is the alleged perpetrator of other crimes such as drug trafficking and the illegal trade of firearms. When the Belgian Federal Police suspected the fugitive could be hiding in Torrevieja, they requested the cooperation of the Spanish Guardia Civil, who launched an investigation and surveillance activities. Europol provided analytical support during the investigation by cross-checking data and facilitated information exchange, as well as smooth international cooperation. Investigations revealed that the fugitive laundered the illicit proceeds derived from his criminal activity in Belgium through a restaurant in Spain – a cash-intensive business – and then invested the money in real estate. On the action day on 7 November, the fugitive was arrested in Spain following a European Arrest Warrant launched by the Belgian authorities. Three houses and a restaurant were searched in Spain, resulting in the shutdown of the restaurant used to launder the money and the freezing of two properties, bank accounts and a vehicle, alongside numerous documents, electronic devices, credit cards and a substantial amount of cash. During the operation, Europol supported the operation on-the-spot by deploying one expert from its Financial Intelligence Unit equipped with a Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED). This allowed for the extraction of data from the mobile and computer devices seized for its posterior analysis. Watch the video

Today Europol hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Diebold Nixdorf at its headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. Diebold Nixdorf is a global provider of self-service transaction systems such as ATMs and point-of-sale technology for the financial and retail industries. Sharing knowledge on major cyber threats and attacks and exchanging expertise, best practices, technical information and trends related to organised crime activity related to attacks against self-service ecosystems, are the main activities which will allow both organisations to reinforce their efforts to create a safer cyber space for citizens, businesses and governments. High level of expertise for European investigations Europol created the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in 2013 to strengthen the law enforcement response to cybercrime in the EU in a bid to better protect EU citizens, businesses and governments from online crime. It also targets cybercrime by facilitating the joint identification, prioritisation, preparation and initiation of cross-border investigations and operations by its partners. During the signature, Steven Wilson, Head of EC3 said: “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding will improve our capabilities and increase our effectiveness in preventing, prosecuting and disrupting cybercrime related to self-service ecosystems. As a company with a strong global presence, a working cooperation of this type between Europol and Diebold Nixdorf is the most effective way in which we can hope to secure cyberspace for European citizens and businesses. I am confident that the high level of expertise our industry partners bring with them are going to result in a significant benefit to our Europe-wide investigations.” Diebold Nixdorf is committed to exchanging threat intelligence data and best practices with industry partners and law enforcement agencies such as Europol in a secure and trusted way, as a means of better protecting global customers from the rapidly expanding cybercrime industry. Bernd Redecker, Director of Corporate Security and Fraud Management at Diebold Nixdorf, said: “As a global leader in connected commerce, Diebold Nixdorf is committed to ensuring the security of the millions of transactions enabled by our technology each day. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding with EC3 reinforces our commitment to proactively fight cybercrime, and we look forward to intensive, industry-wide information exchange as well as joint projects that will help protect our customers and prevent incidents related to self-service ecosystems.” About Europol Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1 100 staff members, Europol uses state-of-the art tools to support some 40 000 international investigations each year, serving as a centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence. About Diebold Nixdorf Diebold Nixdorf Incorporated (NYSE:DBD) is a world leader in enabling connected commerce for millions of consumers each day across the financial and retail industries. Its software-defined solutions bridge the physical and digital worlds of cash and consumer transactions conveniently, securely and efficiently. As an innovation partner for nearly all of the world’s top 100 financial institutions and a majority of the top 25 global retailers, Diebold Nixdorf delivers services and technology that are essential to evolve in an ‘always on’ and changing consumer landscape. The company has a presence in more than 130 countries with approximately 23 000 employees worldwide.

We received hundreds of entries capturing the essence of the challenging work of law enforcement across the globe, but only three could make it to the top. Unique snapshots portraying the work of law enforcement, police officers, rescue teams, SWAT teams, customs and border guards, carrying out the most rewarding of the duties: to protect citizens. From operational work and training exercises to everyday community policing, this year’s images feature dramatic action shots as well as heart-warming moments. And the winners of the 2018 law enforcement photo competition are… The first prize is awarded to João Moura from Portugal, whose spontaneous shot taken at  São Bento train station in Porto, Portugal, portrays community policing for the elderly. The second prize is awarded to Jiří Fejkl from the Czech Republic. The photo was taken in January 2011 while visiting London and shows a British police vessel patrolling on the river Thames. Daniel Ruiz from Spain is the third winner of this year’s photo competition, whose shot features a training session of the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group (GREIM) of the Spanish Guardia Civil.   The three prize winners win a trip for two to the Netherlands, including a visit to Europol. Their images will also feature in our 2019 calendar and other Europol publications. 10th anniversary of the biggest international law enforcement photo competition in Europe Over the past decade, Europol’s annual international law enforcement photo competition has attracted thousands of entries from photographers working in law enforcement across the EU and beyond, making it the biggest international law enforcement photo competition in Europe. The images received have been since published in Europol’s flagship reports and publications as well as online to illustrate the amazing and diverse work of law enforcement. Next year’s edition will be open for entries from May to July 2019. Keep an eye on our photo competition website for updates and don’t miss out the opportunity to take part!

The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) and the European Union's law enforcement agency, Europol, signed today in The Hague a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement will see the two entities share information and be in constant consultation over sport competition manipulations and related organised crime investigations. GLMS and Europol will also cooperate in running joint activities and implementing relevant projects, notably in the field of education and capacity building. GLMS President, Ludovico Calvi, states: “We are delighted to consolidate our long-lasting and fruitful relationship with Europol and strengthen our joint efforts. Europol has played a significant role in recent years in the fight against organised crime involved in sport competitions manipulations with concrete results in relevant investigations. We have always valued their experience and innovative investigative approach. Thank to our global monitoring platform and network, we are confident that GLMS can support Europol effectively leveraging the « glocal » nature of our association with global presence and local intelligence”. Europol Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Wil van Gemert, adds «With organised crime infiltrating sport, the phenomenon of sport competition manipulations is unfortunately an active threat to EU citizens. Europol has been taking this matter very seriously and has successfully supported far-reaching investigations over the past years. We are delighted to count on the relationship with   GLMS, which thanks to its strong global network and local presence will further support us in this challenging task. Most importantly, with this agreement, we send out an important message to organised criminal groups that law enforcement and private actors like the lottery sector stand united in combating organized crime and safeguarding the integrity of sports and the values of European society.” About GLMS GLMS is the state lotteries’ mutualized monitoring system on sports betting. It aims at detecting and analyzing suspicious betting activities that could question the integrity of a sport competition. Building on six years of experience with the establishment in 2009 of ELMS with European Lotteries, GLMS went global in January 2015 extending the network to other continents. GLMS facilitates the sharing of sports betting information as part of the collective efforts of its members in ensuring sports integrity globally, and is dedicated to effective cooperation with all key stakeholders: regulators, law enforcement authorities, sports organizations. About Europol Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 28 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1 100 staff members, Europol uses state-of-the art tools to support some 40 000 international investigations each year, serving as a centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence.

An international law enforcement operation against maritime pollution has revealed hundreds of violations and exposed serious cases of contamination worldwide. Codenamed 30 Days at Sea, the month-long (1 to 31 October) operation saw some 276 law enforcement and environmental agencies across 58 countries detect over 500 offences, including illegal discharges of oil and garbage from vessels, shipbreaking, breaches of ship emissions regulations, and pollution on rivers and land-based runoff to the sea. Steered by a global network of 122 national coordinators, 30 Days at Sea involved environmental, maritime and border agencies, national police forces, customs, and port authorities. Violations detected worldwide More than 5 200 inspections have resulted in at least 185 investigations with arrests and prosecutions anticipated. Serious contamination was found in Germany, where a vessel discharged 600 litres of palm oil into the sea. Ghana uncovered gallons of waste oil in large bottles thought to be illegally dumped at sea. Authorities prevented an environmental disaster in Albania by securing waters around a sinking vessel containing some 500 litres of oil. Similarly, the pollution threat resulting from the collision of two ships in French waters was contained thanks to preventive action during the operation. Innovative technologies were used to detect offences including satellite images (Argentina, Sweden), aerial surveillance (Canada, Italy), drones (Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan) and night vision cameras. Action through global cooperation “This is why law enforcement must team up on a global scale to build strong international links with specialised experts so we can tackle this devastating crime while ensuring a healthier, safer planet for all,” responded Wil van Gemert, Deputy Executive Director of Europol, Operations Directorate. “Criminals believe marine pollution is a low-risk crime with no real victims.  This is a mistake and one which INTERPOL and our partners are addressing as demonstrated by this operation,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. “Marine pollution creates health hazards worldwide which undermine sustainable development and requires a multi-agency, multi-sector cooperative response within a solid global security architecture,” added the INTERPOL Chief. UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim said that the issue of illegal marine pollution is one that global communities may well be able to tackle successfully in the next decade.  “But we need the help of our law enforcement partners to make sure that there is no impunity for the perpetrators of marine pollution crime.” added the UN Environment Executive. Coordinated by INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Programme in close partnership with Europol, 30 Days at Sea was driven by a range of cooperative enforcement actions, involving pre-operational intelligence meetings, with domestic and regional training to strengthen tactical planning and international cooperation. Europol coordinated the actions in the Euro-Mediterranean region including two operational meetings and operational analysis support. In total, 3 323 actions were carried out including 120 prosecuted and 210 pollution incidents detected. Understanding pollution crime 30 Days at Sea is followed by an awareness campaign in partnership to illustrate the impact marine pollution has on economic development and human and environmental security.  A global response – collectively and individually – is an effective way to tackle pollution crime. From 13 November to 13 December, look for the hashtag #PollutionCrime, along with #CleanSeas on Twitter, and retweet to show support in combating marine pollution crime and raise awareness.

9 members of a network (5 in Spain and 4 in France) have been arrested in a joint operation, which was carried out by Spain and France on 24 October. The investigation revealed that around 1 200 migrants were smuggled by plane from Palestine1  to Northern Europe through Spain and France. The network followed a very well organised modus operandi by using particular routes, including via Middle-Eastern countries, East Africa and South America in order to reach Spain. The irregular migrants were accommodated in Madrid’s area during the time necessary to organise the continuation of their trip and the illegal border crossing to France and onwards by car. The migrants were charged between EUR 5 000 and 8 000  for the facilitation, which resulted in the smugglers making some EUR 9 million profit. Europol supported this investigation by providing operational analysis and deploying officers to France and Spain during the action days in order to facilitate the real-time information exchange and cross-check of the data collected. This intervention was carried out within the framework of the Joint Operational Team (JOT) DUNQETT, under the EU EMPACT priority on the facilitation of illegal immigration. -------- 1This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue. In 2010 the EU set up a four-year Policy Cycle to ensure greater continuity in the fight against serious international and organised crime. In March 2017 the Council of the EU decided to continue the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime for the 2018 - 2021 period. This multiannual Policy Cycle aims to tackle the most significant threats posed by organised and serious international crime to the EU in a coherent and methodological manner. This is achieved by improving and strengthening cooperation between the relevant services of EU Member States, institutions and agencies, as well as non-EU countries and organisations, including the private sector where relevant. Migrant smuggling is one of the priorities for the Policy Cycle.

Europol and Eurojust strive to improve access to cross-border electronic evidence. The SIRIUS conference 2018 took place on 6 and 7 November at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague. This two-day event, organised in collaboration with Eurojust, gathered over 200 judicial and law enforcement authorities from 40 countries, as well as representatives from Airbnb, Apple, Facebook, Google and PayPal, to address issues and challenges encountered when conducting Internet-based investigations. The objectives of this event were to take stock of the progress made within the framework of the SIRIUS project in building capacity both at EU and US levels in cross-border access to electronic evidence, and to devise novel solutions to emerging and future challenges in the field, capitalising on the input from participants from different backgrounds. The conference provided a perfect opportunity to share knowledge and best practice, as well as to increase mutual understanding and trust between judicial and law enforcement authorities and Online Service Providers. The conference included training sessions by the US Department of Justice, the FBI and Eurojust regarding mutual legal assistance (MLA) procedures, further working towards improving the swiftness of MLA requests. More practice-based activities took place, including a Codefest, which gave participants an opportunity to learn how to use the tools available on the SIRIUS platform and to test the information shared during the two-day event. The conference closed with an inspiring session during which participants, guided by Europol, were able to contribute to the future of SIRIUS, which seeks to remain a reference point for developing knowledge in the area of cross-border access to e-evidence for practitioners. SIRIUS is an innovative project that includes an interactive knowledge-sharing platform accessible to judicial and law enforcement authorities, and aims to produce and disseminate trainings and digests to improve EU-US cooperation in cross-border access to electronic evidence. The project is of operational added value in the internet-based investigation and prosecution of crime. Europol’s EU Internet Referral Unit and the European Cybercrime Centre officially launched the SIRIUS platform during a kick-off meeting in The Hague in October 2017. The platform was enhanced in December 2017 thanks to a grant from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI). At that time, Eurojust became associated with the project, including the judicial dimension with MLA processes between the European Union and the USA. The SIRIUS project is funded under grant agreement No PI/2017/391-896.

The Fiscal Action Unit of the Portuguese Republican National Guard, together with the Territorial Command of Setúbal and with the support of a number of other Territorial Commands from Portugal*, as well as Luxembourg and Europol successfully carried out operation SHADOW GAME from 6 to 8 November. After an investigation of 15 months, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol, participating law enforcement forces carried out 267 house searches in Portugal and 8 house searches in Luxembourg earlier this week. As a result of these, 30 individuals were arrested in Portugal, and one detained in Luxembourg in accordance with the European Arrest Warrant. EUR 576,000 have been seized in cash alongside some 3,000 computer devices used for illegal gambling, 22 firearms, 86 vehicles, including several luxury vehicles and several bank accounts resulting in the recovery of more than 6 million EUR in criminal assets. Fourteen commercial companies and 93 people from Portugal, Luxembourg, as well as Brazil and Switzerland were also indicted. The investigation revealed a structured and hierarchical transnational criminal organisation operating in various EU Member States (Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal) and Switzerland. The criminal organisation was active in the field of servers and software for the development of games of chance, lotteries and sports betting. The purpose of the network was to obtain and maximize illicit revenues by dividing them along the chain of operators and reinvesting them in economic sectors and licit enterprises. The total amount of criminal profits obtained in Portugal and in Luxembourg is currently estimated at EUR 80 million. Europol supported this investigation by providing on-going analytical support, organising and funding operational meetings between Portugal and Luxembourg and by deploying its staff members and mobile office capabilities to Portugal and Luxembourg during the action days to prepare and assist both country’s National Authorities with on-the-spot real time intelligence analysis, which has already allowed for the identification of new international links. * Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Vila Real, Aveiro, Viseu, Coimbra, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Évora and Faro

On 6 November 2018, following a meeting at working level, the four Principals of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Europol,  the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), the European Defence Agency (EDA), and the Computer Emergency Response Team for the EU Institutions, Agencies and Bodies (CERT-EU), met at CERT-EU's premises. The purpose of the meeting was to update each other on relevant developments and assess the progress made under the MoU, which provides a cooperation framework aiming at leveraging synergies between the four organisations to achieve a safe and open cyberspace. The four partners also agreed on a roadmap prepared by the MoU working group with concrete activities and deliverables throughout 2019. The initial focus will be on working closer in the areas of training and cyber exercises, building the cooperation capacity and the improved exchange of information on respective projects and events with a view to complementing the work of the four partners and avoiding the duplication of efforts. The Principals agreed that this was a major milestone in entering a new era of working together and an important first step in putting the cooperation framework into practice. Steven Wilson, Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3): “This meeting was an excellent opportunity for us to take stock of what we have achieved so far in the framework of our joint MoU and to agree on a roadmap of concrete joint activities and deliverables for 2019 and beyond. We look forward to working with our MoU partners in making the internet a safer place."

With the support of Europol, the Polish Border Guard has successfully dismantled an international criminal network involved in the facilitation of illegal immigration. The organised criminal group (OCG) ran their operation in Poland, smuggling non-EU nationals into the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Area, and helping them obtain the relevant documents to stay. On 24 October 2018 seven key suspects – all of whom are Polish nationals – were arrested in Poland. During the searches, police seized communication and electronic devices and various documents used by the OCG. The investigation into the group began in 2013. The OCG registered documents at the Regional Labour Office, which declared their intention to provide work for non-EU migrants in Poland. The criminals created both fictional and genuine companies to issue these documents, which entitle non-EU nationals to obtain a Polish visa to stay in the country and to find paid employment. The visa also entitles the holder to stay in other EU countries. The OCG was responsible for all the travel arrangements, declarations, applications, work permits and temporary residences for the migrants. Once the migrants had signed the documents, they travelled to Germany and Sweden. The investigation indicates that the group helped at least 550 foreigners to reach the EU and Schengen Area. The case is ongoing and further future detentions are possible. Europol supported the investigation by providing analytical and operational support and hosting an initial operational meeting at its headquarters in The Hague. During the action days, Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC) provided on-the-spot support by deploying an analyst to Poland equipped with a mobile office and a Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED). This allowed for real-time cross-checks against Europol’s databases as well as data extraction from the seized devices for further analysis.

More than 30 000 artefacts, including Greek and Roman ceramics, helmets, funeral urns, lamps, arrowheads and spears – thought to be either genuine or forged – have been seized as a result of the latest operation targeting trafficking of cultural goods in Europe. The seizures were made as part of Operation SARDICA run by the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Bulgarian Police, with the support of Europol and Eurojust, against an organised crime group suspected of looting and forging cultural artefacts. 17 property searches were carried out simultaneously in Bulgaria and Spain during the action day on 23 October, resulting in the arrest of 13 suspects and some EUR 180 000 in cash seized. The investigation uncovered that the criminal gang had been operating mainly from Spain, and were illegally excavating and trafficking cultural goods looted from archaeological sites in Bulgaria. The criminals were also involved in the manufacturing of forged archaeological goods. All these objects were sold online on popular auction websites, where the criminals had set up fake user profiles, agreeing between themselves to overbid during auctions, so as to increase the selling price and their subsequent criminal profits. The smooth coordination and exchange of information were instrumental in the success of this investigation. Europol brought together the different involved police forces to help them connect the dots between their own national investigations and provided analytical support before and during the action day.  A mobile office was deployed on-the-spot in Valencia (Spain) to help with the cross checking of operational information against Europol’s databases, alongside an expert being present  at the coordination centre set up at Eurojust to coordinate the execution of the arrest warrants and searches.

With the support of Europol, the French National Gendarmerie and the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police have dismantled an organised crime group suspected of having committed at least 65 burglaries in several regions of France since February 2018. Dismantling the group began on 19 June on an action day carried out in the outskirts of Paris. Three suspects were arrested and 80 portable gardening tools were seized. During the second phase of the operation on 24 October, 60 police officers were deployed to Dolj County in southwest Romania. Another 4 suspects were arrested and 11 houses searches carried out.This organised crime group under investigation was specialised in committing burglaries in outbuildings and gardening tool shops. Reactivity and strong exchange of information were the key success factors to overcoming the high mobility and flexibility of the criminals.Involved from the very onset of the investigation in February 2018, Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support before and during the action day. A mobile office was deployed on-the-spot to help with the cross checking of operational information against Europol’s databases.

CEPOL and Europol, supported by the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) organised a conference and training session attended by 75 CBRN and/or explosives experts of the European Explosive Ordnance Disposal Network (EEODN), which took place from 16th to 19th of October 2018, at the School of Guard, at Queluz, Portugal. Officers from 26 EU Member States plus Norway and the United States, together with experts from specialised agencies such as the EU DG Migration and Home Affairs, the Joint Research Centre – Geel, the NATO – C-IED CoE Madrid - Spain, the NATO EOD CoE Trencin – Slovakia, INTERPOL, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Europol - CBRN & Explosives team were present. The main purpose of the conference was to promote the debate on recent cases involving the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and radiological materials (CBRN). The 23 experts involved as trainers were able to develop the participants’ knowledge, skills, techniques and tools through the analysis of the most recent incidents occurring in Europe. This joint CEPOL - Europol activity happened for the first time in Portugal, and the training programme was designed and jointly prepared by the National Republican Guard and Europol. The participants were invited to combine all their knowledge and “hands on” capacity, challenged by the possibility of using innovative strategies and techniques for the neutralisation of the highly complex and dangerous threats. The Conference ended on 19th October, after a debriefing on the methodologies, strategies and techniques used during the training, aiming to provide a reflection on the best practices to face this kind of threats.

For two weeks, from 15 to 26 October 2018 at its headquarters, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre hosted the fifth Victim Identification Taskforce, whose aim is to identify victims and suspects of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 27 law enforcement experts from 21 countries and INTERPOL joined Europol staff to go through millions of images and video files to find and exploit vital clues. This combination of collaborative work, image and video analysis and criminal intelligence, followed by national investigations, has already led to the safeguarding of 241 victims and prosecution of 94 offenders in 28 countries. More than 32 million (binary unique) images and video files were available in Europol’s database for this operation. In preparation for this Taskforce, Europol experts triaged 351 series of related images that would be the object of analysis for the participants. One series can link from 2 to more than 5 000 images. Today, at the end of this annual Taskforce, a total of 584 series have been analysed. For 91 series, likely countries of production have been determined and these countries informed, so they can start their own national investigation. All the series have been uploaded to the INTERPOL International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database. We know that four eyes are better than two, so imagine having 34 pairs of eyes and expert brains working together for two weeks, while exchanging expertise and good practices. The eyes came from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and third-party partners Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Moldova, Norway, Switzerland, the United States (US ICE, US FBI) and INTERPOL. The tireless efforts during the four previous editions have resulted in the safeguarding of 241 victims and the arrests and prosecutions of 94 offenders. This number will undoubtedly increase after this fifth edition. 1000 police officers trained At the same time as the event, for the 19th time, Europol organised a ten-day training course on ‘Combatting the Online Sexual Exploitation of Children’(COSEC) at the Police Academy of North Rhine-Westphalia in Selm, Germany. During this training course, unique of its kind, the training participants were also working on the same series of abuse images as the Victim Identification Taskforce. The COSEC training is meant to expand the community of investigators who fight child sexual abuse and exploitation. Since its first edition in 2000, almost 1 000 law enforcement officers have taken the course which encompasses open source investigations, forensics, victim identification and financial investigations. Crowdsourcing the search As a spin-off of the law enforcement-focused Victim identification Taskforce, Europol launched a crowdsourcing initiative to expand the search for the origin of child sexual abuse images to the general public. Since the start of the project, on 1 June 2017, more than 22 000 tips have been sent to Europol which has already resulted in eight children identified and one offender arrested thanks to the help from ordinary citizens.

Our world is hyper-connected now. Current estimates are that there are around 10 billion electronic devices with access to the internet and that number will have at least doubled by 2020. In addition to the many advantages and opportunities, the emerging ability of connected devices to impact the physical world has also created a new set of vulnerabilities and possibilities of exploitation by criminals. To address these vulnerabilities, tackle them effectively and to fully realise the great potential that it offers, ENISA and Europol have brought together 300 experts from the private sector, security community, law enforcement, the European Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) community and academia for a two-day conference in The Hague. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a wide and diverse ecosystem where interconnected devices and services collect, exchange and process data in order to adapt dynamically to a context, automate decisions and provide better situation awareness. In simpler words, it makes our televisions, bathroom scales, fridges and even our cars and cities ‘smart’ and creates new opportunities for the way we work, interact and communicate, and how devices react and adapt to us. IoT has added to our overall convenience, ease of use and even safety but it is important to implement adequate security measures to protect the IoT from cyber threats. What will happen when cheap and unprotected IoT devices allow criminals to watch your every move from your vacuum cleaner’s camera, change the settings of your connected medical device or drive your car into a wall? These challenges – whether technical, legal, policy or regulatory – need to be addressed across different sectors and stakeholders. For the second year in a row, ENISA and Europol joined forces to gather the world’s leading experts from the private sector and law enforcement and cybersecurity community to discuss the security challenges around Industry 4.0, IoT application domains and concrete case studies in the automotive, aerospace and smart home industry and emerging IoT trends like artificial intelligence and digital forensics. The second IoT Security Conference provides a unique platform for experts to provide the audience with insights into the security requirements of IoT, a mapping of relevant threats, assessing possible attacks and identifying potential good practices and security measures to apply in order to protect IoT systems and to deliver the many opportunities IoT offers in a safe and privacy-respecting manner. The main conclusions of the conference are: security should not be an afterthought when designing systems and IoT systems are no exception; implementing security does not need to be complicated. As ENISA's report shows, baseline security recommendations for IoT were made accessible via an interactive online table. This allows for easy access to specific good practices; law enforcement needs to be in a position to go beyond defence and incident response by being able to investigate and prosecute the criminals abusing connected devices; there is a need to discuss digital forensics in regard to IoT and the importance of data and privacy protection, considering the amount and different categories of data collected by the IoT; this joint conference is an excellent example of much-needed multi-disciplinary dialogues. ENISA and Europol are working closely together to inform key stakeholders of the need to be aware of the cybersecurity and criminal aspects associated with deploying and using these devices; the IoT has great potential and provides tremendous opportunities to improve the way we interact, do business and go about our daily lives. In 2019 and beyond, holistic, pragmatic, practical and economically viable security solutions need to be promoted and the entire IoT ecosystem needs to be looked into. ENISA will be working on an automotive IoT case study and welcomes the active support of all partners. Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Stronger collaborations with industry are planned together with other initiatives to ensure coordinated efforts and explore all possible synergies.　 ENISA’s Head of Core Operations Department, Steve Purser commented: "It is important and essential to collaborate because cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and that is ever more true in the IoT domain. This joint conference is an excellent example of these much-needed multi-disciplinary dialogues. The benefits and opportunities that IoT brings are numerous and of paramount significance for the entire society. It is our duty to ensure that this is done in a secure, safe and reliable manner. IoT security is a prerequisite for a secure and safe connected digital society. The time to act for Internet of Things security is now. I welcome the collaboration with Europol, and I am confident that such joint efforts contributing to ensuring IoT security for all."　 Europol’s Deputy Executive Director of Operations, Wil van Gemert added: "Law enforcement must have the tools, skills and expertise to investigate the criminal abuse of the IoT. We have a leading role, together with our partners, to go beyond increasing cyber security and resilience of the IoT as we can make a specific contribution in terms of deterrence. The complexity of IoT and its resulting cybersecurity challenges call for a holistic, smart and agile approach. As IoT is now a present reality as opposed to a futuristic concept, the necessity to have this multi-stakeholder conference to put cybersecurity at the heart of the IoT ecosystem is self-evident." Useful tool for law enforcement use The Internet of Things has many advantages for law enforcement as a new tool to fight crime. Police are already using connected devices like smart cameras for major events and to fight robberies and home burglaries, bodycams to raise situational awareness, sensors in firearms to track when and how often it is used, and so on. It is important that law enforcement also invest in the safety and security of its IoT-connected devices, to protect the privacy of the citizens it works for. Crime scenes are changing because of the IoT: data from connected doorbells, cameras, thermostats, fridges, etc. can provide useful and crucial evidence. The necessary forensic techniques and training will need to be used to safeguard this data. Big data collected by IoT devices, for example for facial recognition from camera images after a major incident, will become an integral part of a criminal investigation but also require the necessary means to protect the privacy of citizens. Common understanding of IoT cyber security ENISA has been working for several years on identifying security threats and risks in the Internet of Things and on providing recommendations to strengthen its security. To address the challenges and lay the foundation for IoT security, ENISA has introduced Baseline Security Recommendations for IoT, to ensure common understanding and interoperability when it comes to IoT cyber security. Device manufacturers and users of IoT devices and systems can use these recommendations as a checklist against which to assess their IoT security solutions. For this reason, an interactive online tool has also been developed that can be used to define one's own threat model and accordingly identify specific security measures to deter, protect and prevent pertinent threats. Building on this work, ENISA continues to engage with stakeholders and will publish a new study in 2018 on Good Practices for Security of IoT with a focus on Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, while in 2019 relevant efforts concerning smart cars are expected.

As of today, victims of the GandCrab ransomware can recover their files without giving into the demands of the criminals thanks to a new decryption tool released for free on www.nomoreransom.org. This data recovery kit was developed by the Romanian Police in collaboration with its counterparts from Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States, together with the security company Bitdefender and Europol. It is the most comprehensive decryption tool available to date for this particular ransomware family: it works for all but two existing versions of the malware (v.1,4 and 5), regardless of the victim’s geographical location. This tool is released a week after the criminal group behind GandCrab made public decryption keys allowing only a limited pool of victims located in Syria to recover their files. GandCrab in a nutshell GandCrab is one of the most aggressive malware attacks in recent months, infecting nearly half a million victims since it was first detected in January 2018. Once GandCrab takes over a victim’s computer and encrypts its files, it demands a ransom ranging from USD 300 to 6 000. The ransom must be paid through virtual currencies known to make online transactions less traceable, such as DASH and Bitcoin. Back in February, a first decryption tool was made available on No More Ransom by the Romanian Police, with the support of the internet security company Bitdefender and Europol. A second version of the GandCrab ransomware was subsequently released by the criminals, this time with an improved coding which included comments to provoke law enforcement, security companies and No More Ransom. A third version followed a day later. Now in its fifth version, this file-locking malware continues to be updated at an aggressive pace. Its developers are constantly releasing new versions of it, with new, more sophisticated samples being made available to bypass cybersecurity vendors’ countermeasures.  Underground alliances The rapid spread of GandCrab has been helped along by a ransomware-as-a-service scheme, which offers on the dark web to wannabee criminals with little to no technical expertise a toolkit for launching quick and easy malware attacks, in exchange for a 30% cut from each ransom payment.  In order to further maximise the profits, the GandCrab developers are also partnering up with other services in the cybercrime supply chain, enabling different criminal groups to practice their core competencies while working together to earn more illicit profits than they would be able to gather working individually. How to stay safe in the future Victims who have fallen to this ransomware should visit www.nomoreransom.org where this new decryption tool is available for free. The best cure against ransomware remains diligent prevention. Users are strongly advised to: Always keep a copy of their most important files somewhere else: in the cloud, on another drive, on a memory stick, or on another computer. Use reliable and up-to-date anti-virus software. Not download programs from suspicious sources Not open attachments in e-mails from unknown senders, even if they look important and credible And if you are a victim, don’t pay the ransom! Find more information and prevention tips on www.nomoreransom.org

The French Judicial Police (DCPJ) and the Italian Carabinieri Corps, with support from Europol and Eurojust, arrested 23 individuals and dismantled 2 criminal networks suspected of producing and distributing counterfeit banknotes in France and Italy. The networks produced various denominations: 20 and 50 euro counterfeit banknotes and distributed EUR 45 000 in 100 euro counterfeit banknotes since 2016, causing EUR 4.5 million worth of damage to the economy. The case was initiated earlier this year when the French National Police specialised units were tipped off about the distribution of fake banknotes. Investigations led the police to discover an organised crime group producing counterfeit banknotes in a print shop in Naples, Italy. The banknotes were later distributed by a different crime ring in Nancy, France. The criminals in France regularly drove to Naples where they visited members of a Neapolitan family firm to whom they bought the counterfeit banknotes. Once back in France they resold the banknotes and they were put into circulation from Nancy to other EU Member States. Print shop dismantled in Naples The action day took place on 16 October, after establishing a Joint Investigation Team in May, between the authorities from both countries with the assistance of Europol and Eurojust. In France, nine suspects were taken into custody alongside the search of their respective houses. In the meantime 14 members of the illegal production group were arrested in Naples, the same city in which the police officers dismantled the print shop where the banknotes were supplied. Printing and digital equipment was also seized. During the action day, French police officers were deployed to Italy and Italian Carabinieri officers took part in the operation in France. Europol attended five operational meetings and supported the operation by financing two of them, one in France and one in Italy. During the investigations there was a continuous exchange of information and Europol also financed specific operational measures conducted by the DCPJ, of the French National police, in the framework of a grant for euro counterfeiting.

In an operation supported by Europol, the Bulgarian authorities with the collaboration of the U.S. Secret Service have seized EUR 11 million and USD 1.7 million in counterfeit 50, 100 and 500 euro banknotes, as well as 100 and 50 counterfeit US dollars. The fake banknotes were found in an illegal print shop concealed in the basement of a hotel in Sunny Beach (Slantchev Briag), a resort on the Black Sea. This is one of the biggest and the most modern counterfeiting print shops dismantled in Europe in recent years. The print shop used a highly sophisticated and modern printing press that produced high-quality banknotes. On 20 October 2018, more than 30 addresses across Bulgaria were raided during the operation. As a result, four members of the organised criminal group were detained, including the hotel owner. Europol supported the investigation by providing analytical and operational support, including information-exchange and cross-checks against Europol’s databases, and by financing special police measures under the grant for the fight against euro counterfeiting. Europol experts also attended one operational meeting in Bulgaria. At this stage of the investigation, and as the printing house is a new factory, Bulgarian authorities have confirmed the likelihood that the counterfeit banknotes are already in circulation, in or outside Bulgaria, is rather minimal. Watch the video

After almost 18 months of investigation, the Central Investigation Group on Housebreaking Theft, of the Osnabrück Police in northern Germany, in close cooperation with the Osnabrück Public Prosecutor’s Office and the coordination of Europol, succeeded in a significant blow to an international operating burglary gang which committed more than 100 crimes in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. Material damage over EUR 150 000 The crimes, mostly burglaries of farms or isolated houses, were planned from Overijssel in the Netherlands and committed across international borders. Police officers identified 21 members of this mobile organised crime group and arrested 11 suspected burglars. All members of the same large Dutch family, the suspects have been charged with over 100 burglaries in four countries, including in several German federal states. The total material damage is estimated to be over 150 000 euros. The suspects were extremely secretive and professional in their execution. They operated in teams which changed daily and used technical equipment to warn or instruct their accomplices when committing the crimes. The perpetrators also used many types of vehicles, often registered to bogus owners. International police cooperation In Germany, the 21 suspected gang members have a proven record of 64 burglaries: 25 in Lower Saxony and 39 in North Rhine-Westphalia. In Belgium and the Netherlands, investigators registered further offences which could also be attributed to the group. The Danish Police established references to various property offences in Denmark in connection with the burglary gang, resulting in international police cooperation which spanned four countries. The success of this operation was possible due to the intensive cooperation of the central investigation team of the Osnabrück Police, with law enforcement from Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia. Europol supported the operation from the beginning by organising an operational meeting, analysing data and deploying a mobile office on-the-spot during the action day.

One of the most serious aspects of this phenomenon is the role of the family, with Europol receiving regular notifications of children being sold to criminal networks by their families. In some cases they engage directly in the trafficking and exploitation of their own children. Female suspects play a key role in the trafficking and exploitation of minors, much more than in criminal networks which are trafficking adult victims. Most of the cases reported to Europol involve networks escorting non-EU minor victims across the entire route from their country of origin to the place of exploitation, frequently with the involvement of smuggling networks. Smuggling of minor victims through the external borders and across member states usually entails the use of forged travel documents. Criminal profits are mainly redirected to the country of origin of the key suspect, in small amounts via money transfer services and in larger sums using criminal money couriers and mules. Children are trafficked from around the world into the EU. The majority of non-EU networks reported to Europol involved Nigerian organised crime groups which are trafficking young girls to be sexually exploited. Children in migration and unaccompanied minors are at higher risk of trafficking and exploitation. Although the scale of trafficking of unaccompanied minors remains unknown, a future increase is expected. These are some of the findings of the Situation Report on Criminal networks involved in the Trafficking and Exploitation of Underage Victims in the European Union , which Europol released today on the occasion of the EU Anti-Trafficking Day.  Most comprehensive evidence-based picture to date For this first time ever on such a scale, this report provides an in-depth picture of the features of criminal networks involved in one of the most ominous crimes of all – the abuse of vulnerable children. For the purpose of the report, operational intelligence from almost 600 contributions  involving trafficked underage victims was used, all of which were reported to Europol by the Member States between 2015 and 2017. In Europe, thousands of minors continue to be trafficked and exploited to generate profits for criminal networks, accounting for over 20% of all identified victims of trafficking according to UNICEF . Europol increasingly receives information on trafficking networks operating across Member States, taking advantage of the vulnerability of children to sexually exploit them and to abuse them in labour exploitation. Other criminal groups place victims on the streets to beg for money, force them to commit various types of crimes, sell them through illegal adoption schemes and defraud the welfare state. Exploited children in vulnerable situations deserve to be protected more than anyone else. This landmark report draws on months and years of investigation and information exchange between devoted national anti-trafficking units in the Member States and Europol to  draw the most up-to-date intelligence picture of this heinous crime”, said Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. “Together with EU Member States, we will build on the finding of this report to better support future investigative actions at both national and EU-level against trafficking of the weakest social category of all – vulnerable children "Trafficking of minors is the lowest and most vile crime against those who need our protection most. On EU Anti-Trafficking Day, this report shows once again that we cannot close our eyes to what is happening on EU soil and outside.”, commented the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos. “Together with Member States and the support of Europol we must continue fighting to eradicate this heinous exploitation and abuse of children." Released on the occasion of the EU Anti-Trafficking Day on 18 October, this report is produced in the framework of the EU Policy Cycle for Organised Crime and Serious International Crime. More details and context can be found in the report itself. Download the report.

Europol coordinated the international Operation Tarantelo, conducted by the Spanish Guardia Civil with support of French, Italian, Maltese and Portuguese authorities, in which 79 individuals were arrested More than 80 000 kg of illicit Bluefin tuna were seized and it is estimated the network trafficked a volume of over 2.5 million kg a year Several poisoning cases were detected due to the unsanitary conditions in which the fish were stored Operation Tarantelo was launched when the Spanish Guardia Civil became aware of irregularities relating to Bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. Investigations revealed that the fish was being traded illegally in Spain, but imported into the country through French harbours, after being caught in Italian and Maltese waters. While the fish caught in Maltese waters were illegally imported using documents from legal fishing and authorised farms, the fish caught in Italian waters arrived in Spain without documents or inspections. Although most of the fish was caught in Malta and Italy, in Spanish waters there were also unauthorised catches, in this case, the illegally fished Bluefin tuna was transported in false bottoms under the deck of a vessel. The illegal Bluefin tuna market is double the legal market This illegal Bluefin tuna market was up to 2.5 million kg a year and it is estimated criminals earn at least EUR 5 profit per kg; total illegal profits amount to EUR 12.5 million. The volume of this illegal trade is double the annual volume of the legal trade, which is estimated to be 1.25 million kg. A human health crime The tuna business is often linked to other crimes such as food fraud or document fraud. The main risks for consumer health were due to the unsanitary conditions in which the fish was transported and stored. Sometimes the fish was hidden underwater after it was fished, awaiting transportation. The supply chain was interrupted several times, which made the tuna go off and the risk of food poisoning higher for eventual customers. Several cases of food poisoning were detected after eating the tuna, due to the degradation of proteins from the unhygienic conditions in which the tuna was stored. Europol’s support was crucial for the success of Operation Tarantelo, not only by providing analysis support but also providing permanent expertise and advice from environmental crime experts and coordinating meetings for information exchange. On the action day, two mobile offices were deployed to Italy and Spain and Universal Forensic Extraction Devices (UFEDs) for on-the-spot support. The Spanish Guardia Civil arrested 79 suspects and carried out 25 searches. In addition, police seized more than 80 000 kg of illegal Bluefin tuna, alongside EUR 500 000 in cash and seven luxury vehicles. In Italy experts specialising in food health and safety, Carabinieri NAS, carried out 23 inspections and identified 45 suspects, reported one individual and seized 541 kg of tuna as well as relevant documentation. In Portugal the Food Safety and Economic Authority (ASAE) carried out one inspection including several administrative reports and examined relevant documents. Watch the video

The arrestees were members of an organised crime group dealing with forged passports and suspected of trafficking thousands of people. Various groups from the extensive network had already been dismantled in Albania last March. The migrants, looking for a better life in Canada, the United Kingdom or the USA, were recruited in Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and paid between USD 20 000 and 25 000 in exchange for forged travel documents. Investigators from the Spanish National Police were able to identify and arrest 27 migrants in numerous Spanish airports travelling with forged documents from several European countries. Action Day in Skopje The action day took place on 4 October in different locations in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. On searching properties, police officers seized amounts of money: EUR 1 800, USD 14 500, CHF 4 400 and AUD 500, alongside two luxury vehicles, one firearm, cartridges, 14 mobile phones, four Australian passports, a copy of a Canadian passport and applications for Canadian visas, among other documents. Operation Passport was carried out by the National Unit for Suppression of Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking in Human Beings of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in collaboration with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations in the USA. The European Migrant Smuggling Centre at Europol supported the case by organising the initial meeting with all the involved parties. During the investigation, information was cross-checked in the Europol database and shared with the involved partners to collect as much intelligence as possible. Europol coordinated the action taken in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia between police officers from several European countries such as Albania, Austria, Bulgaria and Spain. During the takedown, Europol was present in Skopje with forensic and operational support.  

With the support of Europol, the Romanian special forces and the Italian Polizia di Stato located and arrested last week in Oradea (Romania) a suspect known as V.B.. The suspect was wanted by the Italian authorities for his involvement in an international drug trafficking case, for which he was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment by an Italian court. In particular, the individual is one of the first international drug brokers who linked the Italian mafia group Cosa Nostra with Ndrangheta and with Colombian drug cartels. Europol supported the case, since the individual had links to other EU Member States and third parties. This arrest – the result of a fruitful exchange of information between Europol, Italy and other EU Member States, is the fifth of its kind as part of the Italian project ‘Eurosearch’, which aims to locate and capture dangerous mafia fugitives in Europe. Europol is supporting the project ‘Eurosearch’ and the related investigations with ENFAST (European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams) and with its dedicated AP ITOC (Analysis Project on Italian Organised Crime) which analytical and operational support, such as organising dedicated operational meeting at its headquarters in The Hague.

As the European Union faces increasing threats from organised crime groups and terrorist attacks inspired by religious, left- and right-wing ideologies, an effective law enforcement response must include the availability of well-trained and EU-wide interoperable special intervention units. Therefore, Europol and the ATLAS Network (the cooperation platform of 38 special intervention units of EU Member States and associated countries, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland) today signed the terms of enhanced cooperation. The document was signed by Herbert Kickl, Austria’s Minister of the Interior, representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; ATLAS Chairman Commander Bernhard Treibenreif; and Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. According to the terms of cooperation, an ATLAS Support Office will be established as a team attached to the European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) within the Operations Directorate at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. The ATLAS Support Office will be the main interface of ATLAS with Europol and will support the ATLAS Chairmanship by providing contacts to strategic and operational experts at Europol in the relevant areas of combating terrorism and serious and organised crime. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle: “I am very pleased to open a new chapter of cooperation between Europol and the Special Intervention Units of the EU Member States gathered in the ATLAS Network. I am sure that the closer relationship between Europol and ATLAS will bring added value to the preparedness of the law enforcement community and therefore for the safety of all European citizens. One important element we are pleased to see is the facilitation of cross-border deployment of Special Intervention Units. Europol is also committed to supporting ATLAS with the development of ambitious projects for the future, including the establishment of joint training activities and the pooling of resources. ” Herbert Kickl, Minister of the Interior of Austria: “Cooperation between the ATLAS Network and Europol is an important step in the EU and an essential element of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In a crisis situation, special intervention units must be able to support each other across borders.” The signing of the agreement coincides with the ATLAS common challenge, a counter terrorism exercise in seven European regions taking place from 8 to 11 October. The ATLAS common challenge exercise aims to test the effective operational readiness of European special intervention units as regards cross-border operations. Furthermore the exercise will gather information on warning systems and assistance procedures when tested under real-life circumstances. The different scenarios of the ATLAS common challenge are: Group 1: maritime scenario Special intervention units: GSG 9 (Germany), DSI (Netherlands), NI (Sweden), AKS (Denmark), DELTA (Norway), KARHU (Finland) Scenario: this scenario trains the forces for a hostage situation on a vessel on the Baltic Sea. The difficulties lie in the coordination of the assault forces (approach with several helicopters and speedboats in the dark), communication and controlling the different operation phases.  Group 2: aeroplane scenario Special intervention units: UEI (Spain), GIGN (France), DSU (Belgium), GIS (Italy), GEO (Spain), GOE and GNR (Portugal) Scenario: at the disused Teruel airport in Spain, units are trained to deal with the hijacking of a wide-body aircraft. Current technical developments of ATLAS projects regarding the mechanical opening of aeroplane doors or the opening with breaching methods are to be tested during this operation.  Group 3: metro scenario Special intervention units: BOA (Poland), OMEGA (Latvia), ARAS (Lithuania), K-Komando (Estonia) Scenario: terrorists have taken 500 hostages on a metro train in Warsaw. The special intervention units will try to free and evacuate all the hostages. Group 4: mass hostage scenario Special intervention units: LYNX (Slovakia), Cobra (Austria), URNA (Czech Republic), TEK (Hungary), RED PANTHER (Slovenia), SIU (Croatia) Scenario: in the historical Slovakian town Komárno a situation similar to that of Paris in 2015 is being re-enacted. The main difficulties here are the rapid response to highly mobile offenders, coordination of many different units and the use of armoured vehicles or special vehicles. EKO Cobra will assist the Slovakian unit with up to 50 officers during the operation. Group 5: land/sea scenario Special intervention units: VIKING (Iceland), ERU (Ireland), PSNI (Northern Ireland), SCO 19 (England) Scenario: this scenario is based on a counter terrorism operation which starts in Iceland and ends in Northern Ireland through cross-border cooperation with a common assault. Group 6: train and CBRN scenario Special intervention units: SEK (BW-Germany), USP (Luxembourg), RAID (France), SIU (Switzerland), NOCS (Italy) Scenario: in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, a passenger train has been taken over by terrorists. In the course of negotiations the units gain information that a dirty bomb could be used. Therefore CBRN specialists from the French units RAID are brought in. Group 7: bus hijacking scenario Special intervention units: EKAM (Greece), EAO (Cyprus), SOBT (Bulgaria), SIAS and BSIJ (Romania) Scenario: a coach has been hijacked in northern Greece. It is being tracked by Greek and Bulgarian special intervention units to Bucharest. In order to prevent it entering Ukraine, the units assault what are now two hijacked coaches. The operation is being coordinated by a crisis centre in Bucharest. Central information and coordination hub at Europol During the entire exercise a central information and coordination hub will be installed in an operational room at Europol headquarters. Liaison officers from the different regional organising units alongside members of the ATLAS Command and Control Forum will be present to visualise situation reports of the transnational operations as well as support the regional operation coordination. Watch the video