Crime News

The Italian Carabinieri Corps (NAS Carabinieri), supported by Europol, dismantled an organised crime group involved in the trafficking of counterfeit goods including counterfeit perfumes produced in EU-neighbouring countries. The action day on 18 June 2021 led to: 15 individuals reported to the judicial authority; The dismantling of a site used for the clandestine packaging of cosmetics; and  Seizures including 2 000 counterfeit items (perfumes, clothing, leather accessories, watches and IT accessories), famous brand labels, about 2 000 perfumes still to be assembled and cash. The investigation disrupted a consolidated system aimed at trafficking perfumes and counterfeit goods. The criminal network was operating throughout the Italian territory while maintaining close commercial links to producers in EU-neighbouring countries. The goods were transported through the Balkan route and distributed on the Italian market. The criminal network was importing perfumes in bulk filled in tanks, which were then packed in an illegal assembly site. Presumably, the products were packed quickly before being delivered to the buyers, minimising the risk of detection by avoiding stocking in big quantities. The work performed by the underground assembly point was very difficult to detect since the individuals involved created a sophisticated supply chain showing the complete counterfeit product to the buyers only hours before they were delivered. Europol supported the investigation with operational analysis, facilitated the information exchange and liaised with representatives from the private sector. During the action day, Europol deployed an expert on the field to provide real-time analytical support to investigators. This action day was a spin-off operation from Europol’s coordinated Operation Shield. Europol’s Property Crime Coordinated Coalition (IPC3) is co-funded by EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) to combat intellectual property crime.

With the active support of Europol, the Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna), together with the Internal Security Agency (Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego) and the National Police (Policja) has seized close to a hundred firearms in raids tackling a gun-smuggling gang. The Polish authorities found the weapons in a series of house searches in the regions of Świetokrzyskie and Łódzkie Voivodeship and charged 12 suspects – all Polish nationals between 32 and 60 – for their involvement in this illegal gun-running operation. The organised crime gang under investigation smuggled weapons illegally from Slovakia to Poland, Russia and Ukraine. The 96 seized firearms include revolvers, pistols, automatic rifles and hand machine guns. Several thousand rounds of ammunition of different calibre and one hand grenade were also confiscated as a result of this action day. Additionally, over EUR 50 000 worth of cash was found during the house searches, alongside 14 marijuana plants and some amphetamine. The case was conducted in close cooperation with Europol, which provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators. This action day falls in the framework of a much larger two-year long investigation led by the Polish Border Guard which, besides this action day, has resulted so far in the seizure of close to 200 firearms, including so-called ‘Flobert’ guns and some 2 700 pieces of ammunition. Fifteen other individuals – 9 Ukrainian nationals, 1 Russian national and 5 Polish nationals had already been arrested. The evidence seized during the course of this particular action is now being analysed to identify further investigative leads across Europe. This action day was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

Between 31 May and 6 June 2021, Europol supported Europe-wide coordinated action days against human trafficking for labour exploitation. The operation, led by the Netherlands, involved a wide range of law enforcement authorities including police, immigration and border guards, labour inspectorates and tax authorities. In total, 24* countries took part in the coordinated operational activities. The action week resulted in: 229 arrests (73 for trafficking of human beings); 630 possible victims of different types of exploitation identified;  4 890+ locations checked; 16 530+ vehicles checked; 56 250+ people checked; ~750 new investigations initiated, 150 related to trafficking of human beings. Focus on labour-intensive sectors and domestic workers Law enforcement authorities carried out inspections in labour-intensive sectors, which require low-skilled workers. Employees in sectors such as transport, logistics and construction are more vulnerable to exploitation due to the lower level of education and awareness required with regard to labour rights and human trafficking. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has also reinforced certain vulnerabilities. For example, victims accept employment in working conditions that may threaten their health. These endangering factors include overcrowded working environments, low hygiene arrangements and no health supervision. Exploitation risks vary among sectors. Transport industries employ many third-country nationals, exposed to the exploitation risks related to overtime shifts and very low wages. The inspections also targeted the labour exploitation of domestic workers employed as 24/7 caregivers for humans and animals. Some labour sectors such as nail salons have been linked to the exploitation of victims of Vietnamese origin. Their vulnerability is often increased by debt bondage related to their travel to the European Union. Authorities also focused on the possible exploitation of migrants applying for refugee status during their asylum procedures. Another focus was on enablers involved in the trafficking of human beings, specifically through the use of fraudulent and false documents. *Participating countries: EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Third party countries: Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Europol coordinated the action days and facilitated the information exchange between the participating countries. Europol provided analytical and operational support 24/7 and facilitated the real-time exchange of communication between the participating authorities. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

An organised crime group behind a sting of violent armed robberies committed across Europe has been dismantled as a result of an international investigation facilitated by Europol. A total of six individuals – all Estonian nationals – were arrested over the course of the past two years. The smash-and-grab gang, armed with large hammers and a handgun, would hold up at gunpoint the employees of jewellery shops, before breaking the glass counters and running off with the jewellery. This organised crime group has been linked to two robberies in Bastia (France) in 2016 and 2017, one attempted robbery in Venice (Italy) in 2017 and one robbery in Innsbruck (Austria) in 2017. The investigation into these robberies was carried out by the French Police (Police Nationale), together with the Italian Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri), the Austrian Federal Police (Bundespolizei), the Finnish Police (Poliisi) and the Estonian Police (Politsei- ja Piirivalveamet). The international coordination was carried out by Europol who brought together in 2017 the national investigators who have since been working closely together. Since then, Europol has provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators. This operation was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

In the early hours of 7 June, officers from the French National Police (Police Nationale) and the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) carried out a series of coordinated raids close to Paris (France) and Malaga (Spain). A total of five suspects – 3 French nationals and 2 Algerian nationals - were arrested for their involvement in an armed bank robbery in Paris. In 2019, this organised crime group pulled off a bank robbery off the Champs-Elysee, locking staff and customers in for hours while they opened over sixty safe deposit boxes before fleeing with their loot. The value of the stolen items is estimated at several millions of euros. The arrests this week took place in the region of Paris. A property owned by one of the suspects in Spain has also been seized in the framework of a Freezing Order. Europol support Europol brought together the national investigators on both sides who have since been working closely together to prepare for the action day; Since then, Europol has provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators; On the action day, a specialist from Europol’s Serious Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC) was deployed to Paris to assist the French authorities with the cross-checking of operational information. At the same time, a specialist from Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) was sent to Spain to assist the Civil Guard with asset recovery. This investigation was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

Between 10 June and 12 July 2021, Europol will host an operational centre to support safety and security during the UEFA EURO 2020 football championship. Coordinated by the Dutch Police, the International Police Cooperation Centre (IPCC) of the National Football Contact Points will host about 40 liaison officers from 22 participating and hosting countries. This special operational set-up is created to enable swift cooperation and provide the necessary operational support for a safe and secure championship. The IPCC will serve as a central information hub for national law enforcement authorities. To that end, Europol has created a special Task Force EURO 2020 to enable keeping officers on the ground 24/7 to easily exchange information and swiftly receive leads on ongoing investigations. The operational activities will focus on public safety and criminal threats, which may threaten security during the tournament. Enforcement authorities will target threats such as cybercrime, terrorism, match-fixing, trafficking counterfeit goods including fake COVID-19 certificates, and other intellectual property crimes. Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, said: ‘The UEFA EURO 2020 championship is a unique tournament both for football and for law enforcement. With 24 national teams playing in 11 cities across Europe, teaming up is paramount for the safety of the tournament. Europol will enable this cooperation by hosting the dedicated operational centre. Backed by Europol’s capabilities, officers on the ground will be better prepared to ensure a smooth and safe championship.’ The IPCC’s chief of staff, Max Daniel, said: ‘Combining information about public order issues, supporters, places of stay and travel movements by road, air and rail results in an up-to-date and integrated picture. Being able to easily share that information between countries has proven to be very valuable in the past. Police intelligence officers of all participating countries are doing their utmost to ensure that this unique UEFA EURO 2020 championship will be as safe as possible.’ IPCC UEFA EURO 2020 Participants (total number): EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands. Non-EU Countries: Azerbaijan, North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom. Organisations: INTERPOL and UEFA

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Dutch National Police (Politie), and the Swedish Police Authority (Polisen), in cooperation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and 16 other countries have carried out with the support of Europol one of the largest and most sophisticated law enforcement operations to date in the fight against encrypted criminal activities.Since 2019, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, in close coordination with the Australian Federal Police, strategically developed and covertly operated an encrypted device company, called ANOM, which grew to service more than 12 000 encrypted devices to over 300 criminal syndicates operating in more than 100 countries, including Italian organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and international drug trafficking organisations.The goal of the new platform was to target global organised crime, drug trafficking, and money laundering organisations, regardless of where they operated, and offer an encrypted device with features sought by the organised crime networks, such as remote wipe and duress passwords, to persuade criminal networks to pivot to the device.The FBI and the 16 other countries of the international coalition, supported by Europol and in coordination with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, then exploited the intelligence from the 27 million messages obtained and reviewed them over 18 months while ANOM’s criminal users discussed their criminal activities.This operation, known as OTF Greenlight/Trojan Shield, is one of the largest and most sophisticated law enforcement operations to date in the fight against encrypted criminal activities.  A series of large-scale law enforcement actions were executed over the past days across 16 countries resulting in more than 700 house searches, more than 800 arrests and the seizure of over 8 tons of cocaine, 22 tons of cannabis and cannabis resin, 2 tons of synthetic drugs (amphetamine and methamphetamine), 6 tons of synthetic drugs precursors, 250 firearms, 55 luxury vehicles and over $48 million in various worldwide currencies and cryptocurrencies. Countless spin-off operations will be carried out in the weeks to come.  Operation Trojan Shield/Greenlight will enable Europol to further enhance the intelligence picture on organised crime affecting the EU due to the quality of the information gathered. This enhanced intelligence picture will support the continued effort in identifying operating high-value criminal targets on a global scale.Criminal demand for encrypted platforms and past takedownsCriminal networks have a huge demand for encrypted communication platforms to facilitate their criminal activities. However, the market for encrypted platforms is considered to be volatile. In July 2020, the EncroChat encrypted platform was dismantled by the Operational Taskforce EMMA (France, the Netherlands). This international operation sent shockwaves in the criminal underworld across Europe and was followed in 2021 with another takedown of a similar nature: an international group of judicial and law enforcement authorities (Belgium, France, the Netherlands) successfully blocked the further use of encrypted communications by organised crime networks via the Sky ECC communication service tool (Operational Task Force Limit).Both operations provided invaluable insights into an unprecedented amount of information exchanged between criminals. After the takedown of Sky ECC in March 2021, many organised crime networks sought a quick encrypted replacement for a communication platform that would allow them to evade law enforcement detection. This was a deliberate and strategic aspect of OTF Greenlight / Operation Trojan Shield resulting in the migration of some of the criminal Sky ECC customer base to the FBI-managed platform Anom.Europol’s Deputy Executive Director Jean-Philippe Lecouffe: “This operation is an exceptional success by the authorities in the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the other European members of the Operational Task Force. Europol coordinated the international law enforcement community, enriched the information picture and brought criminal intelligence into ongoing operations to target organised crime and drug trafficking organisations, wherever they are and however they choose to communicate. I am very satisfied to see Europol supporting this operation and strengthen law enforcement partnerships by emphasizing the multi-agency aspect of the case.”Calvin Shivers, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigative Division, US Federal Bureau of Investigation: “Encrypted criminal communications platforms have traditionally been a tool to evade law enforcement and facilitate transnational organized crime. The FBI and our international partners continue to push the envelope and develop innovative ways to overcome these challenges and bring criminals to justice," said the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Calvin A. Shivers. "We are grateful to Europol for their commitment to fighting transnational organized crime and their partnership with the FBI. ”Linda H Staaf, Police Commissioner, Head of Intelligence of the Swedish Police (Polisen): “This operation, with an extensive strike yesterday, is one of the largest intelligence-led police operations against violent crime and drug networks ever in Sweden. From the Swedish police’s point of view there were no doubt to be the leading part in Europe together with the Netherlands and Europol. We highly appreciate this type of cooperation between law enforcement agencies. The criminality spreads across borders and international cooperation is crucial to fight serious crime. ”Jannine van den Berg, Chief Constable of the Netherlands Police’s Central Unit: “Operation Trojan Shield is a fine example of innovative and daring police work that is unparalleled. Each partner provided its own unique expertise and together we delivered a fantastic international performance. Thanks to the excellent technical skills of the Dutch police, the millions of messages could be analyzed and interpreted. Just like the investigations into EncroChat and Sky, Operation Trojan Shield also shows that serious criminals wrongly believe that they can operate anonymously and out of sight of the police and that they cannot be caught. Nothing turns out to be less true. My compliments and thanks go to all participants of Operation Trojan Shield.”Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw APM: “The AFP and FBI have been working together on a world-first operation to bring to justice the organised crime gangs flooding our communities with drugs, guns and violence. Europol has been a trusted and committed partner during this time. Very few matters unite law enforcement like bringing to justice those who seek to do our citizens harm. The FBI provided an encrypted communications platform while the AFP deployed the technical capability that helped unmask some of the biggest criminals in the world. The intelligence shared by Europol has helped to ensure this is one of the most significant global taskforces for law enforcement. This week the AFP will execute hundreds of warrants and is expected to arrest hundreds of offenders who were linked to the platform. This is the culmination of hard work, perseverance and an invaluable, trusted relationship with Europol. We thank Europol for their long and integral partnership with the AFP. Crime is local but when we work together our reach is global.”Drug Enforcement Administration Deputy Chief of Operations Matthew Donahue said: “Operation Trojan Shield and Europol Operation Greenlight not only reveal how transnational criminal organizations continue to exploit encrypted communication services for their own illicit gain, but also show the commitment of the law enforcement community to develop innovative strategies to counter this activity. These operations underscore the seriousness of the international drug threat and provide a strong foundation from which future investigations can be built.  As clearly shown in this operation, transnational organized crime is a global problem that requires a global solution, strong international partnerships and timely information sharing which are critical tools in this fight.”Europol’s role and contributionEuropol set up an Operational Task Force (OTF) for Operation Trojan Shield / Greenlight and provided operational support for the participating countries by acting as a criminal intelligence hub, facilitating the exchange of information and coordinating with other investigations supported by Europol. Overall, 16 countries took part in this OTF and sent representatives to Europol in The Hague, the Netherlands, to coordinate their activities at the national and international levels. The large system of international liaison officers at Europol ensures that the interests of law enforcement agencies in the EU Member States and non-EU partners are represented at Europol’s headquarters. Europol supported OTF Greenlight / Operation Trojan Shield, which was led by the US FBI, Sweden, the Netherlands and Australia.The following countries participated in the international coalition: Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom incl. Scotland, and the United States.

Between November 2020 and June 2021, Europol coordinated the fifth Operation Lake, which involved law enforcement authorities from 24* countries, OLAF, the EU Wildlife Enforcement Group and the EU Food Fraud Network. This Europe-wide annual operation targets the trafficking of the protected European eel (Anguilla Anguilla) species, which has seen its population decrease by 90 % in recent years.Operation Lake V led to:58 000+ inspections across Europe52 arrestsSeizures including:387 kg of glass eels and 25 kg of adult eels valued at about EUR 1.241 millionCars, boats and other assets.300 000 glass eels seized in one operationIn November, Spanish law enforcement authorities seized cargo containing more than 100 kg of glass eels (about 300 000 specimens) in Barajas-Madrid airport. This seizure and further investigations led to the arrest of two people, including the leader of the criminal network, who is currently imprisoned. Another complex investigation involving Portuguese law enforcement authorities has led to the dismantling of a criminal network using oysters to conceal glass eels in cargo. The coordinated operation activities led to three arrests and the seizure of assets and €70 000 in cash.Another Portuguese-led investigation uncovered bunker-like structures in which eels were stored before being shipped to Asia. Officers arrested three suspects and seized 60 kg (or about 180 000 specimens) of glass eels and different assets such as cars and boats. A special law enforcement unit was created in France, one of the main trading points for glass eels, to coordinate the controls across the entire territory. Two investigations are still ongoing, while the checks that have already been carried out uncovered several new modus operandi.Europol coordinated the overall operational activities, facilitated the information exchange and provided analytical support. During several action days, Europol deployed experts on the field to cross-check operational information in real time against Europol’s databases.Eels in cargo instead of suitcasesThe global COVID-19 pandemic has also influenced eel trafficking. The investigations in the framework of Lake V uncovered a shift in this criminal activity. In the conditions of an international travel ban, criminal networks have found new ways to smuggle glass eels from Europe to Asia. The most common modus operandi during the global pandemic has consisted of concealing glass eels in shipments with other commodities before transporting them to Asia through air cargo. During previous operations, many travellers were arrested for smuggling eels in their suitcases. During the past year, this trend has been replaced by cargo transportation.The main criminal networks involved in this trafficking are primarily active in France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom – the four European countries producing glass eels. Nationals from these countries manage the illegal fishing while nationals from the destination countries in Asia arrange the logistics and transportation. The investigations during Lake V uncovered criminal networks building special structures similar to bunkers to store the illegally fished glass eels. After arriving in Asia, the glass eels are grown in fish farms and distributed to different markets across the globe.The trafficking of glass eels is one of the biggest, most lucrative illegal trades of protected spaces worldwide, with illegal profits estimated to be up to €3 billion in recent years. Successful law enforcement efforts in combating this threat to European wildlife has made a big contribution to the illegal activity’s significant decrease: estimates show that the trafficking of eels is now 50 % lower than in 2016, the after year Operation Lake was launched.Participating countries:EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, SpainNon-EU countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Georgia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland, United KingdomHeadquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

In the early hours of 31 May, some 740 police officers carried out coordinated raids across Germany and Slovakia against the members of a criminal syndicate smuggling Vietnamese nationals into Europe, arresting 3 individuals. The main bulk of today’s actions took place in Germany, with house searches carried out in the towns of Hamburg, Schönefeld, Recklinghausen, Minden, Bückeburg, Halle, Bitterfeld-Wolften and Leipzig.  A number of searches were also executed in Bratislava in Slovakia. The investigation uncovered that this organised crime group was responsible for facilitating into Germany the entry of over 250 irregular migrants of Vietnamese origin, charging each migrant between €13 000 to €21 000 for the journey. The criminal network provided migrants back in Vietnam with valid Schengen visas issued on false grounds using invitations provided by various companies controlled by the network in Slovakia. Once the migrants arrived in Europe, the network would arrange for their travel to Germany by means of private cars. There, the migrants were deprived of their personal belongings and kept in captivity against their will until they paid back their debts to the criminal network through unpaid work. This sting was carried out in the framework of an Operational Taskforce set up at Europol in November 2020 between the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei), the Police Force of the Slovak Republic (Policajný zbor Slovenskej republiky) and Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre (EMSC). This Operational Taskforce focuses specifically on the organised crime networks smuggling Vietnamese nationals into Europe. Europol support Europol brought together the national investigators on both sides who have since been working closely together to establish a joint strategy to bring down this migrant smuggling network. Since then, Europol has provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators. A virtual command post was set up by Europol on the action day to ensure seamless coordination between all the authorities involved in these arrests and a specialist from its European Migrant Smuggling Centre was deployed the coordination centre in Germany to assist with the cross-checking of operational information.

On 27 May 2021, the 1st Referral Action Day against right-wing terrorist online propaganda was coordinated by the European Union Internet Referral Unit at Europol's headquarters in The Hague. The Action Day was joined by a total of 28 international partners: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the New York City Police Department. Referral Action Days are based on the referral by Europol and specialised units in partner countries of terrorist propaganda to online service providers that are responsible for evaluating the content to establish any potential breach of their terms of service. Among the items referred were: right-wing terrorist and extremist content; material produced by or favouring proscribed right-wing organisations; material produced and disseminated concerning relevant right-wing attacks, such as texts, videos, audio files, publications, images, and social media accounts. During the Referral Action Day, the parties involved reviewed the referral process, from detecting terrorist content to its flagging to online service providers (OSPs). A total amount of 1 038 items were assessed for referral to the OSPs with a request to be reviewed against their terms of service. The threat posed by violent right-wing extremism has been growing. The terror attacks in Christchurch (New Zealand), Poway (USA), El Paso (USA), Bærum (Norway), and Halle (Germany) were part of a wave of violent incidents worldwide, the perpetrators of which were part of similar transnational online communities and took inspiration from one another. The use of the internet is becoming increasingly important in this context. This no longer applies only to radicalisation and recruitment but also to the dismantling of crimes by law enforcement. This first Referral Action Day against right-wing terrorist and extremist online propaganda aimed to discover the sources of Internet activities and develop approaches to combat them.  Similar joint actions will continue to be organised in the future.

The cooperation between the French National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) and the Dutch Police (Politie) in the framework of the investigation into Encrochat has led to the discovery of an industrial-scale cocaine laboratory in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Acting on information from Europol and the  French Gendarmerie, 80 Dutch police officers, accompanied by their SWAT teams and specialised dogs, raided in the early hours of 26 May several addresses in the cities of Rotterdam and The Hague. The clandestine drug laboratory was found hidden in a building also housing a garage used by criminals to customise vehicles with secret compartments to transport drugs across Europe. A total of 7 vehicles already equipped with such compartments were seized on site, alongside a vehicle worth €110 000 and 37 kilos of cocaine hidden in these tailor-made compartments. Both the drug laboratory and garage were run by the same criminal syndicate who was flooding Europe with cocaine. One of its members was arrested in Rotterdam under a European Arrest Warrant facilitated by Eurojust. This sting follows an earlier action day carried out by the French Gendarmerie on 31 March on the occasion of which 450 of its officers were deployed against the same criminal group, leading to the arrest of 8 members of the gang. In addition, €5 million worth of cocaine was also seized in the region of Marseille, alongside €3 million worth of cannabis resin and €3.4 million in cash. The investigation was able to trace back the cocaine to the underground laboratory targeted this week in the Netherlands. Europol support In the framework of intelligence activities underway with its operational counterparts, Europol developed actionable intelligence concerning the activities in Europe of this criminal syndicate. In November 2020, Europol  brought together the national investigators on both sides who have since been working closely together to establish a joint strategy to bring down the whole network. The suspects were identified with the support of Operation EMMA 95/LEMONT 26, the French and Dutch-led investigation against the Encrochat network. Since then, Europol has provided continuous intelligence development and analysis to support the field investigators.

On 20 May 2021, Europol supported the German Regional Criminal Police of Nordrhein-Westfalen (Landeskriminalamt Nordrhein-Westfalen) and the Italian Finance Corps (Guardia di Finanza) of Rome and Naples in dismantling an organised crime group involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit euro banknotes, drug trafficking and tax fraud. Law enforcement authorities from the BelgianFederal Police (Federale Politie, Police Fédérale) and the French National Police (Police Nationale) also assisted the investigation. The suspects are believed to have ties to the Camorra mafia clan. The action day led to: 19 house searches (1 in Naples and 18 in Germany ) 4 persons arrested (Italian nationals) Seizures include various documents such as accounting records, IT evidence and €30 000 in cash Judicial security order of €415 000 in total, issued by Germany  The criminal network is involved in the production of counterfeit euros in the area of Naples in Italy and their subsequent distribution in Germany.  The main suspect is also believed to be involved in the trafficking of different illegal commodities including drugs, stolen vehicles and falsified documents. He is suspected of distributing these illegal commodities, acquired by his associates living in Naples and connected to the Camorra. During the course of the investigation law enforcement officers made several seizures including cocaine, an illegal firearm and counterfeit money for a value of about €160 000.  This investigation also led to the first seizure of a counterfeit banknote of the new €100, just six months after its official release by the European Central Bank. Europol facilitated the information exchange, operational coordination and provided analytical support. During the action day, Europol supported with technical expertise and cross-checked operational information against Europol’s databases and the systems of the European Central Bank. This investigation is part of the Italian DIA Project ONNET, an EU-financed initiative to tackle mafia-type organised crime groups active in Europe. The project was launched at Europol’s headquarters and targets the mafia-style criminal groups in their entirety, rather than one or more of their specific criminal activities. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Earlier this week, the French Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) with the support of the French Judicial Customs (SEJF) arrested 5 individuals and seized 250 000 counterfeit cigarettes in a series of raids in the city of Nantes. This action follows an earlier one on 9 April which saw 7 other members of the same organised crime group arrested in the cities of Nantes, Rodez and Montpellier. On this occasion, close to 5 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes were seized, alongside €37 000 in cash. Europol deployed specialists from its European Financial Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) on both these actions days to support the French authorities. This organised crime group received the illegal cigarettes from two criminal networks based abroad, arranged for their storage in various cities in France and then managed their subsequent distribution through a number of criminal wholesalers – composed mostly of Georgian, Armenian and Ukrainian nationals – onto the French black market. The same organised crime group was also involved in the management of payments and the corresponding financial flows. This criminal group has now been fully dismantled. Since the start of the investigation, the French investigators collected evidence that over 75 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes were imported and distributed throughout France for a loss to the French budget estimated close to €22 million. Europol support Europol’s Analysis Project (AP) Smoke as part of the EFECC has supported this investigation from the onset and organised coordination meetings with the national investigators involved to discuss procedural requirements and identify a clear way forward. Its experts there after organised the intensive exchange of information needed to prepare for the action days in France. This investigation was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats.

Europol supported the Italian Carabinieri (NAS Carabinieri) and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) in dismantling an organised crime group involved in the online sale of illegal food supplements containing active medical ingredients.In 2019, NAS Carabinieri detected some food supplements, allegedly made of natural ingredients, which actually contained the pharmaceutical ingredients sildenafil and tadalafil. The product, recommended for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, was sold on a well-known e-commerce platform. The results of analysis carried out on samples from test purchases of the product confirmed the presence of these active ingredients. Food supplements illegally containing a medical active ingredient could be sold in a deceptive way to consumers, generating high risks for public health. In this case, Sildenafil could be extremely harmful for individuals suffering from heart or blood circulation diseases.The Spanish investigation followed the supply chain and identified that the company was registered in the United Kingdom, while the main perpetrators were operating from Spain. Based on information shared by the Italian Carabinieri through Europol, the Spanish Police then initiated the investigation carried out in the framework of operation Shield II, which led to the arrest of the suspects. Officers carried out twelve house searches in Spain and Italy and blocked seventeen websites. The final results of the operational activities include eight arrests (in Spain), the seizures of 32 500 packages of food supplements (both in Spain and Italy) and the freezing of 21 bank accounts containing a total of €3.5 million.Europol supported the operation by facilitating information exchange and providing analytical support and operational coordination. During the action day, Europol experts cross-checked operational information in real-time against Europol’s databases to provide leads for investigators in the field. Europol also deployed a top expert in Spain to provide technical expertise and support with the extraction and analysis of information from mobile devices.Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From various threat assessments to intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources required to help make Europe safer.

Despite constraints imposed by the COVID-19, the 2020 edition of the Pandora operation targeting the illicit trafficking of cultural goods has been the most successful to date with over 56 400 cultural goods seized.  These objects include archaeological objects, furniture, coins, paintings, musical instruments and sculptures. Running between 1 June and 31 October 2020, Pandora V saw the involvement of customs and law enforcement authorities from 31 countries. During the operational phase, tens of thousands of checks and controls were carried out in various airports, ports, border crossing points, as well as in the auction houses, museums and private houses. As a result, more than 300 investigations were opened, and 67 individuals arrested. Given the global nature of this crime, operation coordination units working 24/7 were established by Europol on one side, and the World Customs Organization and INTERPOL on the other, to support the exchange of information as well as disseminate alerts, warnings and perform cross- checks in different international and national databases. This operation was led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), with the international coordination supported by Europol, INTERPOL and the WCO. PANDORA V was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). Operational highlights A total of 27 300 archaeological artefacts were seized as a result of a single investigation carried out by French Customs (Douane). A suspect was arrested, who now faces a prison sentence and a fine of several hundred thousands of euros. The Spanish authorities seized more than 7 700 cultural goods including archaeological artefacts, coins, sculptures and statues, weapons, paintings and archives of sound, film and photography with a value in excess of €9 million. During the operational phase, the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) also finalised a complex investigation initiated within the framework of Pandora III. As a result, one individual was arrested and 94 objects stolen in various places of worship were recovered. A total of €165 000 in cash was seized at his home. The arrestee is suspected of trying to sell online these stolen goods, such as a 16th century silver chalice and an illuminated manuscript of the Apocalypse by Beatus of Liébana. During searches on the internet, the Swedish Police (Polisen) identified a folk art item stolen in Sweden in 2019. At that same online auction, the Swedish Police discovered a pair of 17th century candlesticks stolen from a Swedish church 8 years ago. The Italian Carabinieri Corps (Arma dei Carabinieri) reported more than 2 700 cultural goods seized including ceramics, archaeological goods, art and books valued at €1 155 000. The Hellenic Police (Ελληνική Αστυνομία) carried out 34 arrests and recovered a total of 6 757 antiquities, including ceramic and marble objects, as well as 6 452 coins, 5 533 of which were recovered in one single investigation. In one case, two Greek nationals were arrested for trying to sell 6 marble and clay antiquities for €150 000. A total of 50 metal detectors were seized, and 6 of them were seized directly in archaeological sites, clearly demonstrating that such sites are under treat. Several hundreds of Word War II grenades and other explosive devices were seized by the Police Force of the Slovak Republic (Policajný zbor Slovenskej republiky). This is a worrisome development as some of these old explosive devices are still functional and may lead to numerous casualties. Results of the Cyber Patrol Within the framework of the Operation Pandora V, the Dutch National Police (Politie) organised a five-day cyber patrol week focusing on online markets. Law enforcement from 15 countries, with the support of Europol, INTERPOL and WCO, identified suspicious sales online, as a result of which 15 new investigations were opened. International coordination Europol, as co-leader of this action, played a key role in implementing the entire operation by facilitating information exchange, and providing analytical and operational support. The WCO also facilitated intelligence exchange among different agencies through a special user group created on its CENComm communication platform. INTERPOL connected Balkan and European participating countries, facilitating the exchange of information through its secure communications system. A dedicated expert supported the entire operation by double checking searches against INTERPOL's Stolen Works of Art database to locate and identify stolen and missing items. Participating countries: Albania, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom

We are releasing today to the public a series of new Stop Child Abuse – Trace An Object images in an attempt to solve child sexual abuse cold cases. All six pictures – a t-shirt, a wristband, a bag – have been cropped out of child sexual abuse footage from cases investigators have yet to solve – some of them months old, some years old – before being digitally enhanced and posted online. Investigators are hoping that certain details in the images might serve as clues and that members of the public will recognise a detail which could down the line lead to a child being rescued from harm. What do victim identification specialists do? Victim identification specialists painstakingly go through images and videos frame-by-frame to identify anything that helps with the origin, location or the identity of the victim. Some things the specialists find are quite simple, like a street sign or a news programme on a TV in the background, but others are harder as offenders are becoming more aware of what law enforcement is looking for. In some cases, investigators have exhausted all the investigative leads and that’s where your help is needed. Europol’s victim identification specialists take your tips sent in via the Trace An Object platform and work to verify and develop them further. Sometimes, your tips lead us in a definite direction. The information is then sent to the relevant country for further investigation. So far, the Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object has helped remove 10 children from harm and arrest 3 offenders with over 26 000 tips received. How to report We urge the public to have a look at the images by visiting https://www.europol.europa.eu/stopchildabuse. If you recognise an object or any details about its origin, be it from a shop, location or a time period, please report it via the platform. You can do so securely and anonymously. No clue is too small.

Europol supported the Spanish authorities in targeting an organised crime group laundering millions of euros of illegal profits coming from the trafficking of substandard saffron. The criminal network mixed real saffron with herbs and chemicals to increase their margins before exporting it. More than 500 shipments of this adulterated saffron have been identified, worth an estimated amount of €10 million. The criminal network laundered their criminal proceeds through multiple bank transfers emanating from a Spanish company to different companies across the EU pretending to having bought this saffron. These companies were not in the import-export business, which raised suspicions. The investigation into the transactions revealed a complex trade-based money laundering scheme set-up across the EU. The criminal network also used carriers to transport large amount of cash derived from the criminal business. The carriers were controlled by money brokers operating in the EU and with connections in non-EU countries acting as nodes in the hawala network. The action day on 25 February in Spain led to: 17 arrests Seizures including: 7 luxury cars and watches, gold and jewellery, 400kg of saffron threads, machines for saffron counterfeiting and €14 500 in cash Europol supported the operation by facilitating information exchange and providing analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed two experts to Spain to provide technical and analytical expertise and cross-check in real time operational information against Europol’s databases and provide leads to investigators in the field. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Four have been arrested in a multi-agency operation sparked by a German investigation into one of Europe’s most prolific child sexual abuse platforms on the dark web. These arrests were made in Germany (3) and Paraguay (1) earlier this month. The arrested individuals – all German nationals, had various roles in relation to the site seized. The dark web platform, known as Boystown, has been taken down by an international taskforce set up by the German Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt) which included Europol and law enforcement agencies from the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, Canada and the United States. This site focused on the sexual abuse of children and had 400 000 registered users when it was taken down. Several other chat sites on the dark web used by child sexual offenders were also seized on the same occasion. The case illustrates what Europol is seeing in child sexual abuse offending: online child offender communities on the dark web exhibit considerable resilience in response to law enforcement actions targeting them. Their reactions include resurrecting old communities, establishing new communities, and making strong efforts to organise and administer them. The image and video data seized during this investigation will be used for Victim Identification Taskforces organised on a regular basis at Europol. More arrests and rescues are to be expected globally as police worldwide examine the intelligence packages compiled by Europol. The following authorities took part in this investigation: Germany: Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt) The Netherlands: National Police (Politie) Sweden: National Police (Polisen) Australia: Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Queensland Police Service (QPS) United States: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

In the early hours of 27 April, officers of the Spanish National Police (Policia Nacional) with the support of Europol swooped on the members of a terrorist cell in the city of Granada. A total of three individuals were arrested on suspicion of encouraging terrorist attacks against France. After the French magazine Charlie Hebdo republished caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in September of last year, the arrestees posted numerous videos on their social media accounts threatening to carry out violent actions against France, its citizens and interests abroad to avenge the said-publication. The Spanish National Police used its specialist capabilities to identify the individuals behind these social media profiles with totalled almost 19 000 followers. The seriousness of these threats, together with the suspects’ social media following, represented a serious security concern. Europol deployed one of its experts to the field to assist the Spanish authorities during the day of action. The evidence gathered during the house searches will now be analysed by Europol to identify potential links with ongoing investigations.

The EU and the UK have concluded a Trade and Partnership Agreement specifying the possibilities and conditions for their cooperation after the end of the transition period that followed the UK’s withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020. The EU-UK Trade and Partnership Agreement includes provisions on the cooperation between Europol and the competent authorities of the UK. Thanks to the conclusion of the Agreement, Europol could initiate the operational cooperation with the UK as third state already at the start of this year. Europol is working on fully implementing the relevant provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Partnership Agreement as soon as possible in consultation with the UK and under the authority of its Management Board. Until an arrangement fully implementing those provisions is concluded between Europol and its UK counterpart, Europol is adhering to additional data protection safeguards that were defined in consultation with the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and the Management Board. Europol’s Management Board is an integral part of Europol’s administrative and management structure.

Between 1 and 30 March 2021, 300 agencies across 67 countries joined forces against marine pollution during the third global operation 30 Days at Sea. Europol and Frontex coordinated the European leg of the operation, as part of the EMPACT action plan on environmental crime, while INTERPOL coordinated the global activities. The actions led to the identification of numerous crimes ranging from illegal discharge to waste trafficking and the investigation of thousands of suspects worldwide. Frontline action followed five months of intelligence collection and analysis, enabling participating countries to identify hotspots and targets. The simultaneous actions in March led to: 34 000 inspections at sea and inland waterways, coastal areas and ports;  1 600 marine pollution offences detected in total; 500 illegal acts of pollution committed at sea, including oil discharges, illegal shipbreaking and sulphur emissions from vessels; 1 000 pollution offences in coastal areas and in rivers, including illegal discharges of contaminants; 130 cases of waste trafficking through ports. By using INTERPOL’s wide range of databases and analytical capabilities, countries were able to connect pollution crime with other serious crimes such as fraud, corruption, tax evasion, money laundering, piracy, and illegal fishing. Criminals attempt to abuse the pandemic also at sea With many enforcement resources being reassigned to tackle the pandemic, criminals have been quick to exploit growing vulnerabilities in different crime areas including environmental crime. Inspections uncovered typical forms of marine pollution crime, from vessel discharges to waste trafficking by sea, but also criminal trends that have been growing amid the pandemic. Growing trends included COVID-19 disposable items such as masks and gloves, with 13 cases involving medical waste opened as a result of the operation. A major criminal network trafficking plastic waste between Europe and Asia was exposed, triggering cooperation between authorities from both regions. So far, 22 suspects have been arrested and thousands of tonnes of waste have been prevented from being illegally shipped to Asia. It is highly likely that the waste would have likely been dumped there, contaminating soils and generating considerable marine litter. Several countries from Europe, Asia and Africa reported illegal shipments of contaminated or mixed metal waste falsely declared as metal scraps. In one case, the Italian Coast Guard seized and prevented 11 000 tonnes of metal scraps mixed with plastic, rubber, mineral oil and other contaminants from being loaded onto bulk carriers headed for Turkey. Namibia, the Philippines and Croatia also reported cases of illegal waste shipments from Europe. Global coordination to counter the pollution of our seas Europol and FRONTEX (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) coordinated the European leg of 30 Days at Sea 3.0, while INTERPOL’s Environmental Security Programme coordinating the operation globally. Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said: “Marine pollution is a serious threat, which endangers not only the environment but our health and in the long run our global economy. Criminals do not care about the environment; they do not think of tomorrow, but only of increasing their profits on the back of our society. Consolidated law enforcement efforts such as the operation 30 Days at Sea are critical to tackle these borderless crimes and protect our environmental heritage for generations to come.” INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock said: “The threat of pollution crime is constantly evolving, endangering the air we breathe, our water and soil. Although this is the third edition of 30 Days at Sea, it is never the same exercise. It is thanks to a global yet agile network that we have seen the number of inspections more than double since the first edition: a clear sign that the international community will not stand for criminal attacks on our environment.” “Environmental crime is one of many criminal activities Frontex targets as part of our mission as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. This is our contribution to the protection of the environment. I’m proud that, as part of 30 Days at Sea, Frontex aerial and maritime assets monitored nearly 1 000 vessels,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri. All three editions of Operation 30 Days at Sea 3.0 have been carried out with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). *Participating countries: 17 EU Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden 50 non-EU countries: Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chilie, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Dem Rep Congo, Ecuador Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, India, Israel, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Maldives, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Zimbabwe Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

An international law enforcement operation involving the Netherlands, Poland and Europol has resulted in the arrest of 30 members of a prolific organised crime gang flooding Europe with millions of counterfeit cigarettes. A total of 94 tonnes of tobacco and 5,4 million counterfeit cigarettes have been removed from circulation as a result of this international sweep. This gang is also believed to be involved in violent robberies. This operation was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). Code-named operation PITBUUL, this operation took part in two phases. A first action day was carried out in the Netherlands at the end of March. Two illegal factories were dismantled in the Dutch cities of Schaijk and Heerlen with a production capacity of over 1 million cigarettes per day, which equates to a tax loss of over €243 000 per day per factory. A total of 21 Polish and Ukrainian workers were arrested on site and 5,4 million counterfeit cigarettes were seized, alongside 40 tonnes of raw tobacco and 800 kilos of hookah tobacco. A second action day was carried out in Poland last week to arrest the criminal masterminds running this gang. On this occasion, Polish law enforcement raided a dozen of addresses across the country. As a result, 9 individuals were arrested and 54 tonnes of tobacco were seized, alongside machinery used for the production of cigarettes. Officers also seized firearms and weapons, alongside clothing resembling police uniforms, radio communication devices and signal jammers. According to initial estimates, the loss to the Polish budget is estimated in excess of €11 million (52 000 000 PLN). Europol supported this case by organising operational meetings, facilitating the exchange of information between the different countries involved and analysing the operational data to identify the main targets. Its experts were deployed both in the Netherlands and in Poland to support the national authorities on-the-spot. The investigation is still ongoing to try to find potential links to other European countries. The following authorities were involved: The Netherlands: Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), Customs (Douane) Poland: Central Bureau of Investigation (Centralne Biuro Śledecze Policji), National Revenue Administration (Krajowa Administracja Skarbowa) Europol: Analysis Project SMOKE

Between 13 and 16 April 2021, law enforcement authorities from 17 countries* targeted mobile organised crime groups active across Europe as part of the latest edition of operation Trivium. The operation was coordinated by the Netherlands and supported by Europol and is part of the EMPACT security initiative. The coordinated actions led to: 228 arrests; 70 000 persons checked; 67 000 vehicles checked; seizures including 88 vehicles, stolen goods, illegal substances and large amounts of cash. One objective of this year’s operation Trivium was to locate wanted convicts of organised property crime on the run. Investigations during the operation identified the whereabouts of a number of these individuals. During the operation, German authorities checked an individual suspected by Danish authorities to be linked to several thefts of GPS devices from agriculture machines. During the check of his vehicle, the German officer discovered 30 GPS units from agriculture machines, approximately 100 kg of gold, silver and ivory jewelleries, nearly 50 new high-end smartphones and 20 laptops. The suspect will be extradited to Denmark under a European Arrest Warrant. A check by the Belgian authorities of a vehicle on a motorway parking led to the discovery and seizure of 380 kg of copper hidden in the nearby woods. Operation Trivium, launched in 2013, focuses on a multi-agency approach to tackle crime. The operation targets criminal networks using the EU’s road infrastructure to perpetrate different cross-border crimes through police checks. The joint actions hit criminal groups trying to stay under the radar of law enforcement authorities by being mobile and changing their modi operandi.  These activities based on a multi-agency approach enhance security on roads and contribute to increased trust and a feeling of safety in local communities. *Participating countries: EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden. Non-EU country: Albania Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

On 29 March 2021 Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) in dismantling an organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling from Morocco to Spain through the Strait of Gibraltar. More than 150 police officers were deployed in Spain to arrests the suspects, considered dangerous because of their history of violent crimes and suspected possession of weapons. Results from the action day in Spain Simultaneous actions in Algeciras, Ceuta, La Linea de la Concepción and Madrid 6 house searches 20 suspects arrested Suspects charged with migrant smuggling and 4 murders related to the deaths of people who drowned during a sea crossing Seizures including 3 boats (one rubber boat in Ceuta, one fiberglass boat in La Linea and a yacht in Algeciras), jerry cans and big tanks of fuel totalling some 7 000 litres, 5 weapons and mobile devices Four deaths connected to this network The criminal network was composed of Spanish and Moroccan nationals. The suspects smuggled Moroccan nationals through the Strait of Gibraltar on different vessels, some of them stolen. The boats were fuelled at sea to avoid suspicions from the authorities. The migrants, mainly young individuals and often minors were paying about €2 500 per person for the smuggling services. The suspects transported the migrants in life-threatening conditions without any safety measures in case of emergency at sea. Evidence suggests links between the network and a deadly shipwreck, which took four lives in February. Europol facilitated the exchange of information, provided operational coordination and analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed an analyst to Spain to support with technical expertise and to enable the real-time exchange of information and cross check operational information against Europol’s databases in order to provide leads to investigators in the field. Watch the video

Today, Europol publishes the European Union (EU) Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment, the EU SOCTA 2021. The SOCTA, published by Europol every four years, presents a detailed analysis of the threat of serious and organised crime facing the EU. The SOCTA is a forward-looking assessment that identifies shifts in the serious and organised crime landscape. The SOCTA 2021 details the operations of criminal networks in the EU and how their criminal activities and business practices threaten to undermine our societies, economy and institutions, and slowly erode the rule of law. The report provides unprecedented insights into Europe’s criminal underworld based on the analysis of thousands of cases and pieces of intelligence provided to Europol. The SOCTA reveals a concerning expansion and evolution of serious and organised crime in the EU. The document warns of the potential long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and how these may create ideal conditions for crime to thrive in the future. The report clearly highlights serious and organised crime as the key internal security challenge currently facing the EU and its Member States. Launched at the Portuguese Police’s headquarters (Policia Judicária) in Lisbon during the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the SOCTA 2021 is the most comprehensive and in-depth study of serious and organised crime in the EU ever undertaken. THE MOST PRESSING INTERNAL SECURITY THREAT TO THE EU EU citizens enjoy some of the highest levels of prosperity and security in the world. However, the EU still faces serious challenges to its internal security, threatening to undo some of our common achievements and undermine shared European values and ambitions. As the EU is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most significant crises since the end of World War II, criminals seek to exploit this extraordinary situation targeting citizens, businesses, and public institutions alike. The analysis presented in the SOCTA 2021 highlights key characteristics of serious and organised crime such as the widespread use of corruption, the infiltration and exploitation of legal business structures for all types of criminal activity, and the existence of a parallel underground financial system that allows criminals to move and invest their multi-billion euro profits. Serious and organised crime encompasses a diverse range of criminal phenomena ranging from the trade in illegal drugs to crimes such as migrant smuggling and the trafficking in human beings, economic and financial crime and many more. Key findings of the SOCTA 2021: Serious and organised crime has never posed as high a threat to the EU and its citizens as it does today. The COVID-19 pandemic and the potential economic and social fallout expected to follow threaten to create ideal conditions for organised crime to spread and take hold in the EU and beyond. Once more confirmed by the pandemic, a key characteristic of criminal networks is their agility in adapting to and capitalising on changes in the environment in which they operate. Obstacles become criminal opportunities. Like a business environment, the core of a criminal network is composed of managerial layers and field operators. This core is surrounded by a range of actors linked to the crime infrastructure providing support services. With nearly 40 percent of the criminal networks active in drugs trafficking, the production and trafficking of drugs remains the largest criminal business in the EU. The trafficking and exploitation of human beings, migrant smuggling, online and offline frauds and property crime pose significant threats to EU citizens. Criminals employ corruption. Almost 60% of the criminal networks reported engage in corruption. Criminals make and launder billions of euros annually. The scale and complexity of money laundering activities in the EU have previously been underestimated. Professional money launderers have established a parallel underground financial system and use any means to infiltrate and undermine Europe’s economies and societies. Legal business structures are used to facilitate virtually all types of criminal activity with an impact on the EU. More than 80% of the criminal networks active in the EU use legal business structures for their criminal activities. The use of violence by criminals involved in serious and organised crime in the EU appears to have increased in terms of the frequency of use and its severity. The threat from violent incidents has been augmented by the frequent use of firearms or explosives in public spaces. Criminals are digital natives. Virtually all criminal activities now feature some online component and many crimes have fully migrated online. Criminals exploit encrypted communications to network among each other, use social media and instant messaging services to reach a larger audience to advertise illegal goods, or spread disinformation. Portugal’s Minister for Justice, Francisca Van Dunem: "The strengthening of the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice requires us all to build a Europe where citizens feel safe, free and protected, a Europe that promotes justice for all, ensuring respect for human rights and protecting victims of crime. Cooperation and information sharing are essential to combat serious and organised crime and terrorism and to tackle the threat the EU is confronted with. Therefore, at a time of transition to the new EMPACT cycle 2022-2025, SOCTA 2021 is of particular relevance in identifying priorities for the operational response to these phenomena". Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle: "With the launch of the SOCTA 2021, Europol has harnessed its position as the nerve centre of the EU’s internal security architecture with its platforms, databases, and services connecting law enforcement authorities across the EU and beyond. The intelligence picture and assessment presented in the SOCTA 2021 is a stark reminder of the dynamic and adaptable adversary we face in serious and organised crime in the EU.” Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs: “The 2021 SOCTA report clearly shows that organised crime is a truly transnational threat to our societies. 70% of criminal groups are active in more than three Member States. The complexity of the modern criminal business models was exposed in 2020 when French and Dutch authorities supported by Europol and Eurojust dismantled EncroChat; an encrypted phone network used by criminal networks. Organised crime groups are professional and highly adaptable as shown during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must support law enforcement to keep up, offline and online, to follow the digital trail of criminals.” Minister of Internal Affairs, Eduardo Cabrita: “The EU's Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA 2021), produced by Europol, constitutes an important instrument for affirming the European police partnership. It allows police action to go from pursuing criminal facts and minimising their impact, to anticipating trends in the criminal landscape. By placing intelligence at the service of security, we enable police to be more pro-active and efficient in tackling crime.” The SOCTA 2021 assists decision-makers in the prioritisation of serious and organised crime threats. It is a product of close cooperation between Europol, EU Member States law enforcement authorities, third parties such as EU agencies, international organisations, and countries outside the EU with working arrangements with Europol. These crucial stakeholders’ involvement is also reflected in the SOCTA’s role as the cornerstone of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) in the EU. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Scammers are calling and messaging individuals under the false pretence of representing Europol. The fraudsters tell their victims that they are involved in serious crimes or are victims of a crime such as identity theft. They then urge the victims to provide personal information and make payments, while impersonating Europol officials. We have also been made aware these scammers are able to make it appear as if their phone calls originate from real Europol numbers. This is called ‘phone spoofing’, which is the use of fake caller ID information to mask the true source of an incoming call.Scammers are also contacting people via text message, asking them download an app. This app may even feature the Europol logo, and claims to be about EU reports, but please beware that this is fake and installing this bogus app would expose your device to malware. This is fake! Europol will never call or message citizens regarding such claims and will never ask them to download apps or make payments!Please note, it's not just Europol's name being used in these scams. EMPACT and other platforms are now being mentioned too. They will also never contact you, remain vigilant.We have been made aware of scams involving fake correspondence claiming to be from a number of departments at Europol, as well as from its Executive Director, other senior members of staff, and various international law enforcement officials. Emails and messages on social media, written in multiple languages, have been falsely using the names of senior Europol staff including Catherine De Bolle, Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, and Jürgen Ebner, in order to sound serious and legitimate. Scams have also been attempted via fake letters sent by third companies claiming to be acting on behalf of Europol. Don’t be misled – all of this correspondence is fake. Neither Europol nor any of its staff would ever directly contact members of the public requesting immediate action or threatening individuals with opening a criminal investigation. Europol does not issue fines or contact members of the public requesting payments.WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE TARGETED BY THESE SCAMSIf you receive a suspicious email or phone call claiming to come from a department or member of staff at Europol, please immediately report the matter to your local or national police. The authorities will then contact Europol if required. Europol does not take reports from citizens directly and cannot investigate individual reports.To find out where and how to report a crime, please visit the dedicated section of our website.To learn more about how to protect yourself from scams such as these, read our cyber scam prevention guide. 

Europol supported the Italian Postal and Communication Police (Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni) in arresting an Italian national suspected of hiring a hitman on the dark web. The hitman, hired through an internet assassination website hosted on the TOR network, was payed about €10 000 worth in Bitcoins to kill the ex-girlfriend of the suspect. Europol carried out an urgent, complex crypto-analysis to enable the tracing and identification of the provider from which the suspect purchased the cryptocurrencies. The Italian police then reached out to the identified Italian crypto service provider, who confirmed the information uncovered during the investigation and provided the authorities with further details about the suspect. The timely investigation prevented any harm to be perpetrated against the potential victim. Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) and the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) hosted at Europol supported this investigation with operational analysis and expertise. The Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) at Europol is a standing operational team consisting of cyber liaison officers from different countries who work from the same office on high profile cybercrime investigations. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

At the request of France, authorities in Germany and Luxembourg carried out a coordinated blow on the network which was set up to launder proceeds from drug trafficking At the request of Lille’s Interregional Specialised Prosecution Service (JIRS) in France, law enforcement authorities in Germany and Luxembourg have arrested four members of a criminal group suspected of laundering the proceeds from drug trafficking. The crime group consisted of its leader, nicknamed “the Minister”, as well as intermediaries and lorry drivers who were facilitating the trafficking of drugs and cash through various European countries. The investigation began in France in 2017 after customs agents found £225 990 inside a lorry owned by a company registered in Luxembourg. A cocaine seizure made in France in 2019, and the ensuing information exchange, pointed authorities to the possible links between the two seizures. The financial investigations supported by Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) were key to the success of the case as they allowed authorities to draw clear links between drug trafficking and the money laundering activities of the group. The operational action took place on 23 March and resulted in: Fourteen searches carried out in Germany and Luxembourg. Four members of the crime group including its leader, arrested on the basis of European arrest warrants issued by France. Four properties worth several million of euros and high-value vehicles seized. Several bank accounts frozen with a total value of 187 000 euros. 26 000 euros cash seized Fifty mobile phones and other devices seized for further examination. Europol supported the operation by facilitating the information exchange, providing intelligence and analytical reports, and organising several operational meetings for investigators. Two experts from Europol’s EFECC, equipped with a mobile office, supported the action day in Luxembourg. Eurojust assisted with the execution of European Investigation Orders and the freezing of the bank accounts. The participating authorities: France:  Judicial Customs Investigation Service (SEJF) and Anti-Drug Office (OFAST), under the coordination of the judiciary. Germany: PPOs in Stuttgart, Wiesbaden and Saarbrücken with the support of the Police Departments of Passau, Esslingen, Heidelberg and Westhessen and the State Criminal Police Office Saarland. Luxembourg: Police Grand-Ducal and the Customs and Excise Agency, under the supervision of the investigating judge of the Luxembourg District Court and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO). Europol Eurojust  

Over 9 million counterfeit sedative tablets have been seized as a result of a joint operation between the Hungarian National Police (Magyar Rendőrség) and the Norwegian Police (Politi) with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The two leaders of this criminal network were arrested in Hungary, alongside three of their accomplices, as a result of house searches carried out on 24-25 March. The criminals were producing counterfeit Clonazepam tablets in an underground laboratory. Some 250 kilos and 300 litres of various precursors were found on-the-spot. Clonazepam is prescribed for a range of health issues, including panic disorders and seizures. The counterfeit pills produced by this criminal network were made to look identical to legitimate medication, but failed to meet the quality requirements of their pharmaceutical counterparts. The counterfeit pills were sold across Europe, with Norway being one of the main destinations. Europol’s Analysis Project COPY falling under Europol’s European Economic and Financial Crime Centre (EFECC) was central in this investigation. Its analysts helped identify the country in which the underground laboratory was located. During the action day, Europol also provided to the investigators in the field remote access to its databases, allowing for the cross-check of information in real-time.

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) supported by Europol, arrested three individuals in Madrid and Santa Cruz de Tenerife for their suspected involvement in the facilitation of terrorist financing. The suspects are believed to have used a non-governmental organisation to finance the activities of Al-Qaeda affiliated militants. The network diverted funds raised in good faith by religious associations, under the cover of using them as humanitarian aid for Syrian orphans. In addition to financing the activities of terrorist fighters, part of the funds were used to cover the costs of a school for orphaned children, which is involved in training future terrorist fighters. The school focused on radicalising, providing combat training and encouraging orphans to continue the terrorist activities of their parents killed in combat. As part of the operational action, officers carried out four searches and seized cash, valuables, documents and technical devices which are being analysed by investigators. Europol was involved in the case since its early stages, facilitating the information exchange and providing operational analysis support. Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) will also support the analysis of the digital evidence seized during the action day. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

On 4 March 2021, Europol supported a hit on a large investment fraud network operating in several EU Member States. The investigation, led the by Lithuanian Police (Lietuvos Policija) and involving law enforcement authorities from Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom was also assisted by Eurojust. The action day in Lithuania led to: 26 house searches (18 in Lithuania and 8 in Sweden) 5 arrests (4 in Lithuania and 1 in Sweden) 38 victims identified Accounts worth more than €1.2 million frozen (€500 000 in Lithuania and €700 000 in other countries) Seizures include electronic equipment and various documents Fake retirement plan fraud worth €1.5 million unveiled The criminal network was specifically targeting academics in Germany. The victims were interested in investing their funds in saving accounts hosted on foreign online deposit platforms. They found the offers themselves and applied for these services. They also send deposits to individual accounts opened under their names. In reality, the accounts belonged to Lithuanian companies running the scam. The suspects offered savings accounts, where the funds were to be deposited for a longer period, usually between six months and three years. They used this trick to earn enough time to escape with the funds and hide their traces. Once received, the funds were transferred to accounts in other EU Member States with part of it being cashed out at ATMs in Sweden. Investigators estimate that the criminal network has defrauded its German victims of a total of €1.5 million. Europol supported the operation by facilitating information exchange and providing analytical support. During the action days, Europol cross-checked operational information in real-time against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators in the field.

On 9 March, Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and the Service of Countering Organised Criminality Giurgiu within the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) in a hit against an organised crime group involved in sexual exploitation. The suspects belonged to a family-based criminal group composed of Romanian nationals. They recruited the victims from Romania, luring them to Spain with the so-called ‘loverboy method’. Once the victims reached Girona, the members of the criminal gang forced them into prostitution on the streets of the Spanish city. The victims endured harsh living conditions, cold and hunger. Some of them were forced to prostitute themselves while pregnant and at high risk of being infected by COVID in the current pandemic. To prove their ‘ownership’ over the victims, the criminal gang tattooed them. The suspects collected the money from the sexual exploitation and invested it in high-end vehicles, real estate, luxury goods and drugs. During the action day, officers in Romania discovered pornographic material including content depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. The action day on 9 March 2021 led also to: 16 house searches (2 in Spain and 14 in Romania) 19 arrests (8 in Spain and 11 in Romania) 18 victims safeguarded (7 in Spain and 11 in Romania) Seizures include phones and stolen goods, including jewellery worth some €35 000. Europol facilitated the information exchange and provided analytical support. During the action day, Europol hosted a virtual command post to coordinate the activities. Europol also deployed an expert to Spain to cross-check operational information in real-time against Europol’s databases and to provide technical support with phone extraction capabilities.

On 17 March, Europol supported the German Federal Police, Criminal Investigation Unit Halle (Bundespolizeiinspektion Kriminalitätsbekämpfung Halle) in dismantling an organised crime group smuggling migrants from Turkey to Germany. The criminal network has allegedly smuggled about 80 migrants originating from the Middle East, mainly Egypt, Syria and Turkey. The suspects used lorries and small vans to smuggle the migrants through the so-called Balkan route, from Turkey to Germany via Czechia or Poland. They used forerunners as a scout preventive measure to avoid detection by the police. The migrants were paying between €3 500 and €12 000 per person to be smuggled, in often life-threatening conditions The action day led to: 6 house searches in Altenburg, Erfurt, Greifswald and Ronnenberg 3 individuals arrested Seizures include a vehicle, electronic equipment and documents Europol facilitated the exchange of information, provided operational coordination and analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed an expert to Germany to enable the real-time exchange of information and cross check operational information against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators in the field.

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), in close cooperation with Europol and law enforcement from five other countries, have seized in the city of Málaga the first ever half-submersible vessel being built on European territory. Similar vessels captured in the past have always been of Latin American manufacture. The seizure was made in the framework of Operation FERRO, a high-level law enforcement operation against an organised crime group involved in large-scale drugs trafficking. Over 300 police officers carried out this operation in Spain, supported by the National Police of Colombia (Policía Nacional de Colombia), the Dutch National Police (Politie), the Portuguese Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária), the U.K. National Crime Agency and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with international activity coordinated by Europol. Results of Operation FERRO 47 house searches carried out in the Spanish cities of Tarragona (6), Barcelona (11), Gerona (3), Málaga (11), Castellón (4), Valencia (2), Murcia (7), Cádiz (1), Granada (1) and Badajoz (1); 52 individuals arrested; 2 boats seized: one semi-submersible vessel in Málaga and one speedboat worth over €300 000 in the province of Murcia; Over 3 tonnes of cocaine seized, alongside 700 kilos of hashish and over €100 000 in cash. Operation FERRO was carried out in several phases Phase one: Investigators identified an organised crime group, composed of Spanish, Colombian and Dominican nationals, involved in large-scale trafficking of cocaine, hashish and marijuana. The criminals were operating from Spain, specifically Cataluña.  Between April to December 2020, a number of important cocaine seizures linked to this criminal group were made in Colombia.  A total of 2 900 kilos of cocaine were seized. Phase two: In November 2020, police officers in Spain arrested the leader of this criminal network in Tarragona, alongside 13 of his accomplices. Phase three: In February of this year, another branch of this organised crime group was targeted. Four individuals were arrested in Tarragona and a shipment of 583 kilos of hashish on its way to France and Italy seized. House searches were also carried out in Málaga, on the occasion of which the half-submersible vessel was found in a warehouse. The boat – the first ever of its kind seized on European soil, was still in construction when it was found. The craft was 9 meters long and could have been able to transport up to 2 tonnes of drugs. Phase four: One of the main targets was arrested in February at the El Prat airport in Barcelona as he was trying to flee to the Netherlands. As a result of this arrest, a warehouse was searched Barcelona which led to the seizure of 300 kilos of cocaine. Phase five: A clandestine drug laboratory was discovered in Barcelona next to an indoor cannabis plantation with over 1 150 plants. A 15-meter long speedboat belonging to this criminal network and loaded with 7 000 litres of gasoline was also seized in the region of Murcia. Phase six: At the end of February, the remaining members of the criminal network were arrested. Some 6 000 litres of drug precursors were also seized, destined for a clandestine laboratory in Murcia. Europol’s support Europol’s EU Drugs Unit coordinated the intense international activity from the onset of this Investigation. Its team of specialists facilitated the exchange of information between the different countries involved and analysed the operational data to identify the main targets.  

Europol supported the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) to dismantle a criminal group distributing illegal video streams. The investigation also involved law enforcement authorities from Andorra and Portugal. The investigation started in October 2018 when the Spanish National Police received complaint reports from the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment, Football Association Pretoria, the Premier League and the Spanish Football League (La Liga Espanola de Fútbol) about a mobile application illegally distributing video streams. The application, downloaded by more than 100 million users via different websites, illegally offered the streaming of videos and TV channels. The investigation identified a number of connected websites and platforms located in Spain and Portugal with connections to servers in Czechia. The Spanish company behind the illegal activity earned its profits through advertisements. Through the computer infrastructure and power, they were able to sell user information to a company related to botnet and DDoS attacks. Investigators estimate the overall illegal profits at more than €5 million. Results 3 house searches (2 in Spain and 1 in Andorra) 4 court orders to take down domains 20 web domains and servers blocked 4 arrests (3 in Spain and 1 in Andorra)  Bank accounts frozen 1 server taken down in Portugal and another one under investigation in Czechia Europol supported the investigation with operational coordination and analysis. Europol supported the action day with the deployment of a virtual command post. This enabled operational coordination, also supported by Eurojust. During the action day, Europol’s experts cross-checked operational information in real-time and provide support to the investigators in the field. Europol’s IPC3 (Intellectual Property Crime Coordinated Coalition) which supported the investigation is a project co-funded by the EUIPO to combat intellectual property crime.

Judicial and law enforcement authorities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands have in close cooperation enabled major interventions to block the further use of encrypted communications by large-scale organised crime groups (OCGs), with the support of Europol and Eurojust. The continuous monitoring of the criminal use of the Sky ECC communication service tool by investigators in the three countries involved has provided invaluable insights into hundreds of millions of messages exchanged between criminals. This has resulted in the collection of crucial information on over a hundred of planned large-scale criminal operations, preventing potential life threatening situations and possible victims.During an action day on 9 March 2021, a large number of arrests were made, as well as numerous house searches and seizures in Belgium and the Netherlands.  The operation is an essential part of the continuous effort of judiciary and law enforcement in the EU and third countries to disrupt the illegal use of encrypted communications, as was already displayed last year following the successful de-encryption of the EncroChat communication platform.As of mid-February, authorities have been able to monitor the information flow of approximately 70 000 users of Sky ECC. Many users of EncroChat changed over to the popular Sky ECC platform, after EncroChat was unveiled in 2020.By successfully unlocking the encryption of Sky ECC, the information acquired will provide insights into criminal  activities in various EU Member States and beyond and will assist in expanding investigations and solving serious and cross-border organised crime for the coming months, possibly years.Law enforcement in all three countries has been on a continuous stand by during the last month to be able to provide rapid reactions to possible dangerous criminal activities when required. The newly acquired information will now be analysed furtherInvestigations into the tool started in Belgium, after mobile phones seized during searches showed the use of Sky ECC by suspects. Worldwide, approximately 170 000 individuals use the tool, which has its own infrastructure and applications and is operated from the United States and Canada, using computer servers based in Europe. On a global scale, around three million messages are being exchanged each day via Sky ECC. Over 20 percent of the users are based in Belgium and the Netherlands.Europol has and will continue to provide the authorities of Belgium, Netherlands and other affected countries with tactical, technical and financial support and will be dealing with this important flow of information on criminal activities in order to prevent threats to life and major crimes.Eurojust has provided advice and support regarding cross-border judicial cooperation and organised 12 coordination meetings to enable this collaboration. The Agency will continue to provide this support and stands ready for further advice and cross-border operational financial support to all Member States and countries involved, to ensure an adequate cross-border judicial cooperation.The following authorities participated in the operation:Belgium: Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Public Prosecutor’s Office Antwerpen, Investigative Judge Office Mechelen, Federal Judicial Police, Federal Police and DSU UnitFrance: National Jurisdiction against Organised Crime (JUNALCO), Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ)The Netherlands: National Public Prosecution Service, Public Prosecutor’s Office Amsterdam, National PoliceUpdated on 12 March 2021For further information:How to get in touch with EuropolTon van Lierop, Spokesman at Eurojusttvanlierop@eurojust.europa.euTel: +31627194773

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is launching today its own version of the Europol ‘Stop Child Abuse - Trace An Object’ public appeal to help identify more children victim of sexual abuse. A total of nine non-confrontational details of images extracted from child sexual abuse cold cases are being made public today by the AFP, such as piece of clothing or bedding. Investigators believe the victims are in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, and are calling on the public to view the images and contact the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) if they recognise the objects. The images can be viewed at https://accce.gov.au/report/trace. If you recognise an object and any details about its origin – be it from a shop, location or time period – please report it via the ACCCE website. Latest Trace An Object figures This Australian initiative is based on a project devised by Europol back in 2017. Since its launch, Stop Child Abuse – Trace An Object has yielded the following results: Over 26 000 tips have been sent in via the general public; Investigators were able to narrow down a country in 93 instances; 10 children victim of child sexual abuse have been identified and removed from harm; 3 sexual offenders have been identified and prosecuted. A number of investigations are ongoing in Europe in order to identify more victims and their abusers. A new set of images made public On the occasion of the launch of the Australian initiative, Europol is releasing five new pictures on its own website. These can be viewed at https://www.europol.europa.eu/stopchildabuse     Please have a look and see if you can help us identify a detail which could lead investigators down the line to a child victim of abuse.

Europol supported the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) to dismantle an organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling. Law enforcement authorities from Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Serbia also supported the investigation. Results from 1 March 2021 10 locations searched 7 individuals arrested Seizures include: cash, one weapon, electronic equipment and documents From €5 000 to €6 000 per person During the investigation, police officers detected on 4 separate occasions 30 irregular migrants trying to illegally cross borders. The migrants were legally entering Serbia or Romania before being smuggled further into the EU. The migrants were paying between €5 000 and €6 000 per person to be smuggled in lorries and vans from Romania to Germany, Italy and Portugal. The investigation, initiated in 2019, uncovered a well-organised criminal network with branches in several Eastern European countries. A number of Indian citizens, some of them residing legally in Romania, were coordinating the criminal activities. In November 2020 and in January 2021, Romanian police officers arrested two individuals of Indian origin, suspected of leading the recruitment branch. A gang consisting of Romanian nationals was responsible for the transportation of the irregular migrants to their final destination countries. Europol facilitated the exchange of information, provided operational coordination and analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed an analyst to Bacau, Romania, to enable the real-time exchange of information and cross check operational information against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators in the field.

An investigation by the French Border Police as part of the National Police (Police aux Frontières / Police judiciaire), the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) and the Moldovan Police (Inspectoratul General de Poliție), supported by Europol and Eurojust, led officers to dismantle an organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling, human trafficking for labour exploitation, document fraud, social benefit fraud and money laundering. Results from 22 February 2021 Simultaneous raids in France, Romania and Moldova 51 locations searched (17 in France, 14 in Romania and 20 in Moldova) 38 arrests (28 in France, 3 in Romania and 7 in Moldova) Seizures include: 19 vehicles including 15 high-end cars, 2 jet ski, weapons, phones, about €100 000 in cash, 11 bank accounts frozen €14 million in illegal profit The investigation into the criminal network started in 2018 when officers in France intercepted a van transporting ten irregular migrants. They were Moldovan nationals and a number of them had counterfeit Romanian identity cards. The criminal group, organised by a Romanian national living in France, smuggled at least 40 Moldovan nationals to exploit them in the construction business in France. The criminal network provided the irregular migrants with counterfeit Romanian identity cards and driving licences while keeping their real passports as a guarantee. Most of the smuggled individuals had a low level of education and therefore were more vulnerable to exploitation. They worked 55 hours a week for €60 a day. Large construction and renovation companies were also involved in the criminal scheme. This activity was extremely lucrative, with illegal profits estimated at almost €14 million. The suspects laundered the criminal assets through eight shell companies, most of them based in France. Europol facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support. On the action day, Europol deployed a virtual command post to enable the real-time exchange of information between investigators, Europol and Eurojust. Europol’s analysts also cross-checked operational information against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators in the field. The investigation was developed as part of EMPACT’s Joint Operational Team Doc Fraud. Eurojust set up a Joint Investigation Team between France, Romania and Moldova, signed in May 2020.

The Polish Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne) and German Tax Office for Prosecution and Criminal Matters in Berlin (Finanzamt für Fahndung und Strafsachen Berlin), with the support of Europol dismantled an organised crime group involved in international VAT fraud and money laundering. The fraud scheme revolved around the trade of vegetable oil and caused the Polish treasury to lose an estimated €17.8 million in tax. On an action day on 18 February 2021, investigators raided 45 locations across Germany and Poland resulting in the arrest of twelve suspects. The alleged ringleader of the network is believed to be among the arrested suspects. The criminal gang allegedly set up a fraud scheme involving a string of buffer companies and missing traders to evade tax payment. Through this scam, the missing trader bank accounts did not hold any funds that could have been seized by financial authorities on the suspicion of money laundering. The organised crime group is also thought to have applied to the Polish Development Fund a support package in connection with the COVID-19 economic crisis. As a result of the investigation, the criminals did not receive the financial. Europol actively supported the investigation from 2019 by providing a secure network for the international exchange of information and bespoke analysis. Europol’s operational coordination contributed to effective cross-border cooperation. Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) helps with identifying and dismantling organised criminal networks involved in cross-border VAT fraud and the tracing and confiscating of the proceeds of missing trader intra community (MTIC) fraud. MTIC is committed through a chain of linked companies when the fraudsters sell goods or services from one EU country to another, taking advantage of the fact that it is legitimate not to charge VAT on such cross-border transactions. MTIC scammers obtain €60 billion in criminal profits every year in the EU by avoiding the payment of VAT or by corruptly claiming repayments of VAT from national authorities.

Today, 18 February 2021, Europol and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sign a Memorandum of Understanding to reinforce the cooperation in the fight against the illegal production and distribution of doping substances and their use for the manipulation of sports competitions. Fighting doping for ‘clean’ sport in and out of competition The illegal production and distribution of doping substances brings significant illicit profit to organised crime groups. They often use these profits to fuel other criminal activities, such as producing and trafficking illegal and substandard medicines and synthetic drugs. Doping substances not only corrupt fair competitions they also endanger the health of athletes as criminals often produce illegal doping substances in underground labs with no hygiene requirements while using dangerous and substandard raw materials. These illicit doping substances poison players in all sports: from track athletes, professional cyclists, skiers and weightlifters to amateur bodybuilders. WADA plays a significant role in combating the use of doping substances by athletes, both in and out of competition. Close cooperation between law enforcement and doping regulatory bodies is key to tackling this area of organised crime, ensuring that competitions are fair and protecting athletes' health and wellbeing. Several investigations supported by Europol have uncovered that the use of doping substances to influence the outcome of professional sports competitions is a recurring phenomenon. By countering organised crime groups involved in the corruption of sports and the production, trafficking and use of doping substances, Europol contributes to the integrity of sports, to fair and transparent competitions, ensuring that success belongs to the best, a key objective of clubs, athletes and sports enthusiasts alike. On the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said: ‘To scale up the global fight against the production and trafficking of doping substances and its use to corrupt fair sports competitions, Europol is strengthening its cooperation with the major player in the fight against doping in sports worldwide. The new agreement will focus on exchanging knowledge and expertise, capacity building, and further collaboration between Europol and the World Anti-Doping Agency.’  WADA President Witold Bańka, who signed the MOU on behalf of WADA, said: “Intelligence and investigations has been an area in which WADA has made great progress since gaining the authority to conduct investigations under the 2015 World Anti-Doping Code. As demonstrated by recent high-profile cases, such as those involving the International Biathlon Union, Operation Aderlass, the International Weightlifting Federation and the Europol-coordinated Operation VIRIBUS, the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies and anti-doping organizations can be crucial in exposing wrong-doing that would not have been detected through testing or other analytical methods. Law enforcement and other government agencies possess the power to attack the source and supply of illegal substances, which sport does not have, as well as the power to search and detain those suspected of crimes. Equally, WADA receives information and develops expertise that can be useful to the police in their criminal investigations. Through partnerships such as this one, we are ensuring that cooperation between these two groups continues to strengthen for the good of clean sport. WADA is very grateful to the European Union for its ongoing enthusiasm and willingness to join forces with WADA in this way.” WADA The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is the international independent organization created in 1999 to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against doping in sport in all its forms. The Agency is composed and funded equally by the sports movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of anti-doping capacities and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code - the document harmonizing regulations regarding anti-doping in all sports and all countries. Europol Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. With over 1 300 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.

On Friday 12 February, Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle welcomed Vittorio Rizzi, Deputy Director-General of Police and Director of the Criminal Police in Italy, to Europol’s headquarters. Together they chaired the fourth Working Group on COVID-19 Crime Threats and Law Enforcement Responses. As the pandemic has changed the landscape of crime, law enforcement has had to adapt their approaches to the accelerated shifts in criminal modi operandi and market focus. The COVID-19 chiefs of police working group is an important initiative for law enforcement agencies to work together in monitoring the situation and coordinating the appropriate responses. European chiefs of police from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and INTERPOL joined the virtual meeting to discuss the latest developments in criminality related to COVID-19 and the priorities of the working group. Some of the priority areas discussed: the risks of criminals taking advantage of vaccination campaigns rolling out across the world to sell fake vaccines. Although still limited, some offers of fake vaccines have appeared on the dark web; the online sexual exploitation of minors remains a great concern given the increase in  the production and distribution online of child sexual abuse materials during the pandemic; fraud schemes are likely to proliferate and intensify due to the economic hardship imposed by the pandemic. As unprecedented financial efforts are made in the EU to boost economic recovery, law enforcement agencies remain strongly committed to preventing and fighting financial and economic crime. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer. In 2019, Europol supported 1 874 international operations. Related publications: Europol early warning notification: The illicit sales of false negative covid-19 test certificates (02/02/2021) Europol early warning notification: Vaccine-related crime during the covid-19 pandemic (04/12/2020) Europol report: How COVID-19-related crime infected Europe during 2020. (12/11/2020)

On 10 February 2021, the investigation service of the Dutch tax authorities -FIOD (Fiscale Inlichtingen en OpsporingsDienst) busted a criminal network involved in international VAT fraud with electronic devices traded via an online company. Fraudsters established a complex trading scheme with Secure Digital (SD) memory cards for electronic devices, which is believed to have defrauded the Dutch treasury of an estimated €9 million between 2017 and 2019. The international sting involved the collaboration of judicial and law enforcement authorities in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland with the support of Europol and Eurojust. During the action day, investigators carried out thirteen house searches and seized communications equipment and documents. A complex missing trader intra-community fraud (MTIC) The illegal VAT scheme consisted in the suspicion of a fake trading circuit of memory cards involving a string of companies in the EU. The criminal gang purchased SD cards with VAT from Dutch companies identified as missing traders. The goods were then sold to companies in Croatia, and the Czech Republic and exempted of VAT according to intra-EU tax rules. To evade tax payment, the scheme finally used conduit companies based in Croatia and Poland to sell back the VAT-exempt goods to the missing traders in the Netherlands. The organised crime group also used “buffers” to conceal the illicit transaction chain. These companies purchased the SD cards from the missing traders and only paid VAT on a small margin made from the transactions. As a common practice in MTIC fraud the payment for the transactions was made in advance. It is believed that over the past three years, at least eight missing traders in the Netherlands were involved in this fraud. The criminal gang integrated this so-called ‘VAT carousel fraud’ into the regular commercial activity of an online company selling electronic devices in order to avoid paying VAT. Europol Support Europol actively supported the operation by providing analytical support and operational coordination for an effective cross-border cooperation. Moreover, Europol deployed a mobile office in the field to support the Dutch authorities in real-time. Europol’s European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) helps with identifying and dismantling organised criminal networks involved in cross-border VAT fraudand the tracing and confiscating of the proceeds of MTIC fraud. MTIC is committed through a chain of linked companies when the fraudsters sell goods or services from one EU country to another, taking advantage of the fact that it is legitimate not to charge VAT on such cross-border transactions. MTIC scammers obtain €60 billion in criminal profits every year in the EU by avoiding the payment of VAT or by corruptly claiming repayments of VAT from national authorities.

With more than 1,200 new registered members last year, the release of the EU Digital Evidence Situation Report 2020 and a growing hub of information and resources for EU authorities, the SIRIUS project hosted yesterday its annual Advisory Board meeting to present its 2020 main achievements. This event was the perfect opportunity for both agencies to highlight ambitious new activities for the upcoming year. This event brought together representatives of the European Commission, CEPOL, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UNCTED), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the United States Department of Justice, the European Cybercrime Training and Education Group (ECTEG), the European Judicial Network (EJN), the European Judicial Cybercrime Network (EJCN) and the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) 2020 MILESTONES Building on a strong record of past successes, in 2020 SIRIUS reached 5,000 members via its platform on the Europol Platform for Experts. This space, dedicated to law enforcement and judicial authorities, now reaches all EU Member States and 17 additional third countries, and serves as a recognised centre of excellence at EU level in the field of electronic evidence. The event was also a chance to showcase the second edition of the EU Digital Evidence Situation Report, which focused on the status of EU authorities in retrieving electronic data held by foreign-based online service providers (OSPs), and highlighted the prevalence of electronic evidence in investigations today. Members of the SIRIUS community now have access to guidelines on over 40 different OSPs, and benefit from 36 tools created by their colleagues. Finally, participants were given an overview of the latest training activities and interactive games developed for the SIRIUS community and designed to facilitate investigations for law enforcement and judicial authorities of EU Member States. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Looking ahead, the project team will further leverage its established visibility and position to support an even larger number of law enforcement and judicial authorities in developing the knowledge related to the retrieval of electronic data. The creation of new and additional resources tailored for an even larger community of experts will help SIRIUS reach new heights in 2021. ABOUT THE SIRIUS PROJECT The SIRIUS project, co-implemented by Europol and Eurojust, is a central reference point in the EU for knowledge sharing on cross-border access to electronic evidence. It offers a variety of services, such as guidelines, trainings and tools, to help with accessing data held by online service providers. These services are available to law enforcement and judicial authorities via a platform and an application. To this day, SIRIUS serves a community of competent authorities from 44 countries, representing all EU Member States and a growing number of third countries. The SIRIUS project has received funding from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy (FPI) under grant agreement No PI/2017/391-896

A total of 8 criminals have been arrested on 9 February as a result of an international investigation into a series of sim swapping attacks targeting high-profile victims in the United States. These arrests follow earlier ones in Malta (1) and Belgium (1) of other members belonging to the same criminal network. The attacks orchestrated by this criminal gang targeted thousands of victims throughout 2020, including famous internet influencers, sport stars, musicians and their families. The criminals are believed to have stolen from them over USD 100 million in cryptocurrencies after illegally gaining access to their phones. This international sweep follows a year-long investigation jointly conducted by law enforcement authorities from the United Kingdom, United States, Belgium, Malta and Canada, with international activity coordinated by Europol. A NETWORK OF SIM HIJACKERS Initiated in the spring of 2020, the investigation uncovered how a network composed of a dozen criminals worked together to access the victims’ phone numbers and take control of their apps or accounts by changing the passwords. This enabled them to steal money, cryptocurrencies and personal information, including contacts synced with online accounts. They also hijacked social media accounts to post content and send messages masquerading as the victim. This type of fraud is known as ‘sim swapping’ and it was identified as a key trend on the rise in the latest Europol Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment. It involves cybercriminals taking over use of a victim’s phone number by essentially deactivating their SIM and porting the allocated number over to a SIM belonging to a member of the criminal network. This is typically achieved by the criminals exploiting phone service providers to do the swap on their behalf, either via a corrupt insider or using social engineering techniques. EUROPOL’S INVOLVEMENT Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supported the case from the onset by providing the following: Organised operational meetings to coordinate the international activity; Facilitated the information exchange between all partners and cross-checked data sent in by the partners against Europol’s databases; Supporting the action day by setting up a Virtual Command Post to provide to the investigators in the field real time and secure exchange of information and analytical support. DON’T BE THE NEXT VICTIM It’s not just celebrities who are under attack. Anyone and everyone with a mobile phone can fall victim to sim swapping. Here are a few tips to help you stay one step ahead from the criminals after your personal information: & Keep your devices’ software up to date Do not reply to suspicious emails or engage over the phone with callers that request your personal information  Limit the amount of personal data you share online  Try to use two-factor authentication for your online services, rather than having an authentication code sent over SMS When possible, do not associate your phone number with sensitive online accounts For more advice on how to protect your financial information from such a scam, visit our dedicated page. The following law enforcement agencies took part in this operation: United Kingdom: National Crime Agency United States: US Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Santa Clara REACT; Belgium : Federal Police (Federale Politie, Police Fédérale); Police Zone RIHO (Politiezone RIHO); Malta: Malta Police Force (Il-Korp tal-Pulizija ta’ Malta); Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force, Hamilton Police Service, Toronto Police Service, Edmonton Police Service.

Europol supported the Bulgarian authorities to take down an organised crime group involved in currency and document counterfeiting. US Secret Service also supported the operation. During the operation, the Bulgarian authorities dismantled one print shop counterfeiting currency in a Bulgarian seaside resort and two print shops forging documents situated near the Bulgarian cities Plovdiv and Shumen. The forgery network is suspected of forging and distributing both currencies and identification documents including driving licences. The group advertised the quality of their forgeries with a fake Bulgarian passport of the famous American actor Sylvester Stallone. The counterfeit passport was of a very high quality, with most of the security features perfectly falsified. The investigation uncovered that some of the suspected members of this organised crime group were connected to another one previously busted in 2018. The suspects were using the same location where the Bulgarian authorities found the print shop dismantled in 2018. On the day of this bust, Europol supported the Romanian authorities in a hit against another group of euro counterfeiters. Results: 30 searches of locations and vehicles  9 suspects detained and 6 of them arrested  3 528 counterfeit €100 and €500 banknotes totalling €417 128  7 126 counterfeit $50 totalling $356 300 seized Europol facilitated the information exchange and provided analytical support. --- Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the pandemic, it is very likely that criminals will seize the opportunity of producing and selling fake COVID-19 test certificates, warns a Europol Early Warning Notification published today. Several cases have already emerged of fraudulent COVID-19 test certificates being sold to travellers: A forgery ring selling negative test results to passengers was dismantled at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France; In the UK, fraudsters were caught selling bogus COVID-19 documents for GBP 100; In December 2020, a fraudster was apprehended by the Spanish National Police for selling fake test results for EUR 40. Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or fake documents. Member States are encouraged to share any relevant information on criminal activities related to fake COVID-19 test documentation with Europol. Read Europol’s Early Warning Notification here

A new report by Europol warns that organised crime groups are increasingly employing violence in pursuit of their criminal objectives, and such violence represents a threat to public security in the EU. Based on an analysis of contributions made by Member States to Europol in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of violent incidents associated with serious and organised crime. Furthermore, the analysis points to an increasing willingness from criminal groups to resort to lethal violence. In this report, Europol highlights the factors underpinning this trend and the challenges it poses to law enforcement and develops a set of recommendations. Underlying factors of violence and risks to the public The involvement in criminal gangs of younger and inexperienced hitmen and the accessibility of firearms and explosives, together with violent incidents often perpetrated in crowded public places and broad daylight are considerable threats to public security. Large ports in the EU exploited by criminal groups as transit points and the streets of the surrounding cities are particularly vulnerable to violence.  International organised crime groups have established footholds in and around these ports, where the corruption and intimidation of workers critical to the unloading and storage of illicit commodities, and the competition for distribution are taking place. The rise in violence in illicit markets can be tied to growing competition among criminal networks. Most drug-related fatal and serious violence have been reported in cocaine and cannabis markets, which have recently attracted new players. The report also points to an increased use of serious violence by organised crime groups to carry out their criminal activities. These violent crimes do not exclusively affect criminals; they target non-criminals including victims of trafficking in human beings, violent robberies, law enforcement officers, lawyers, witnesses and informants, investigative journalists, or uncooperative dock workers. Jari Liukku, Head of Europol’s European Serious Organised Crime Centre said While organised crime groups have always been associated with violence, Europol is observing a spike in serious violent acts. This trend is unlikely to decrease in the short term as violence will thrive from organised crime opening to diversity and competition, becoming more digitalised and expanding its global reach. The cooperation at regional and international level is of utmost importance to tackle this threat posed by organised crime. Law enforcement challenges and Europol’s recommendations Law enforcement is facing a range of challenges in dealing with organised crime including: techniques, tactics and procedures used by organised crime groups members lead investigations to dead-ends; the increased mobility of criminals as well as the support networks at local level and the means available to perpetrate attacks (firearms/explosives, surveillance equipment for target reconnaissance, etc.) complicate reactive investigations; hitmen often remain undetected, as they are not a part of the criminal groups; a homicide seen as an isolated event has no clear cross-border dimension, and countries do not consistently share information with international partners and Europol. The analysis conducted by Europol has drawn up a set of recommendations to support law enforcement authorities in countering organised crime: proactively anticipate trends and shifts in criminal markets and network structures; adopt a comprehensive step-by-step approach which would include detection and deterrence (including by attacking criminal finances at an earlier stage) focus on the processes and resources by which crimes are committed in order to identify choke points for intervention; continue to promote cooperation at regional and international levels. Europol spotlight report: The Use of Violence by Organised Crime Groups Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer. In 2019, Europol supported 1 874 international operations.

Europol supported the Romania authorities to dismantle an organised crime group counterfeiting euros and Romanian lei. Law enforcement authorities from Austria, Belgium, Germany and Spain and the European Central Bank also assisted the investigation. A clue discovered by the investigators led to the action day on 27 January 2021 as the network was planning to put counterfeit banknotes equivalent to €50 000 into circulation. 28 houses searched; 10 suspects arrested; 6 individuals under judicial controls; Almost €450 000 euros in counterfeit banknotes seized in denominations of €50, €100 and €500; Around 16 000 in genuine euros and lei seized; Cocaine and cannabis confiscated. The criminal group, active for three years, was counterfeiting banknotes in denominations of €50, €100 and €500. These banknotes, produced on paper, were later found in several EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia and Spain). The investigation uncovered that the counterfeiters had recently acquired the necessary technology to use polymers and fake Romanian lei. The criminal network adapted their methods and materials for the type of currency they were producing. Overall, 1 300 counterfeit banknotes were identified and withdrawn from circulation. Europol facilitated the information exchange, the operational coordination and provided analytical support. During the action day, Europol supported with technical expertise and deployed an expert on-site to cross-check operational information against Europol’s databases and the systems of the European Central Bank. --- Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Spain’s Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) together with Catalan police (Mossos d’Esquadra), Andorra and Europol have teamed up to dismantle an investment fraud in foreign exchange and binary options markets. The scam is believed to have an international scope. Led by Andorran Police under the judicial direction of Specialized Batllia Instruction 2, an operation carried out in January has resulted in the arrest of six suspected fraudsters aged between 20 and 34 years. The nabbed suspects allegedly defrauded thousands of clients via an investment training company. Located in Andorra, the company specialised in the training of investment in cryptocurrencies and other assets, and is thought to have also carried out trading activities. During two house searches, police seized: eight vehicles; several electronic devices; an estimated €70 000 in fiat money and cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, OmiseGo; multiple bank accounts linked to the company. Europol actively supported the investigation and operation mobilising experts from both the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) and European Cyber Crime Centre (EC3). During the operation, Europol experts were deployed in Andorra for on-the-spot operational support and forensic expertise. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer. In 2019, Europol supported 1 874 international operations.

The Polish Police Central Bureau of Investigation (Policja) arrested seven suspects allegedly linked to a high-risk poly-criminal organised network operating in different EU countries. Supported by Europol and Eurojust, the arrests follow a two-year-long investigation into an organised criminal group producing, smuggling and marketing large volume of drugs, mainly marijuana, from Spain to EU countries.  During the action days, over 100 police officers carried out raids in the provinces of Wielkopolskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie. The arrested individuals are suspected of taking part in the transport and transfer of large quantities of drugs. They are also said to have recruited truck drivers for smuggling drugs. The international criminal network under investigation is thought to have operated since 2016 and is likely to have trafficked tonnes of drugs. The criminal group controlled the wholesale supply chain – from the production to large shipments across several EU countries, and the marketing of drugs. The truck drivers recruited to transport drugs carried out their illegal activities under the cover of transport legally set-up companies. Successful international cooperation since 2019 This operation is a continuation of an international investigation initiated in 2019 to dismantle the criminal network. Supporting the investigation since its very beginning as a high-priority case, Europol helped set up the international cooperation. Europol actively coordinated and supported the investigation as well as the action days. As a result of the effective cooperation between Polish authorities, Spain’s Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), Europol and Eurojust, 100 suspects have been arrested to date. The investigation has also led to the seizure of around 1.5 tonnes of marijuana, 91 kg of hashish, 43 kg of cocaine, 8 units of weapons, and 27 cannabis plantations. The plantations included over 20 000 plants in various stages of growth and could enable the production of nearly 2 tonnes of drugs. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer. In 2019, Europol supported 1 874 international operations.

On 20 January 2021, the Hellenic Police (Ελληνική Αστυνομία), supported by Europol, dismantled an organised crime group smuggling migrants from Turkey to Greece by land. After passing the border crossing, the migrants were forced to walk in groups of 3 to 10 people for several days until they reached a predefined location. From there, members of the smuggling network would pick them up by car to bring them to a safe house in Northern Greece. Afterwards, the migrants were transported to Thessaloniki and from there on to Athens, using sophisticated methods to avoid police detection. The investigation identified that the network, active since December 2019, owned over 130 vehicles, most of them purchased with fake documents. Over 10 cars were often registered under the same owner. Relatives of the migrants were paying between €900 and €2500 per person for the smuggling services, transferring the payments via the hawala network. Members of the criminal group were using violence against the migrants to ensure the payments. A high ranked member of the group is believed to be in Turkey. Results: 9 suspects arrested (5 in Thessaloniki, 2 in Katerini, 2 in Athens) The leader of the network is one of the 9 arrested 4 house searches performed  5 vehicles seized Genuine and fake documents and electronic equipment seized  Northern-Greece is an important hub for smuggling of migrants due to the reinforced border protection along the Evros River. Law enforcement authorities have identified a large number of criminal networks attempting to respond to the high demand of smuggling services in this area. Europol provided continuous operational support, tailored analytical support and cross-checking of operational information against Europol’s databases. Europol also supported the action day on the spot by the deployment of a Europol Guest Officer. This allowed for the real-time cross-checking of operational information against Europol’s databases. The operation was carried out under the umbrella of the Greek National Operational Plan signed by Europol and the Hellenic Police in June 2016. The purpose of the plan is to disrupt organised criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and to reinforce secondary security controls in migration hotspots. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Europol, the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, have set the basis of their future cooperation, in the form of a working arrangement. The working arrangement was approved late 2020 by EPPO’s College and Europol’s Management Board and signed in Luxembourg by the European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, after Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle signed it in The Hague. The EPPO is the new independent EU body that is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgement crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU. This includes where the EU financial interests are impacted through e.g. various fraud, including VAT fraud with damages of at least 10 million euro, money laundering and corruption. The EPPO will begin its operations in 2021. Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. With over 1 300  staff members, Europol serves as the centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence in Europe. Its European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against economic and financial crime by enhancing the use of financial intelligence across the EU, for instance to recover criminal assets. The working arrangement is a legal instrument that establishes cooperative relations between Europol and EPPO within the limits of their respective legal frameworks and mandates. Cooperation will mainly exist through the exchange of information between the two parties regarding, for instance, specialist knowledge or criminal investigation procedures, but also through the mutual participation in training activities as well as the provision of advice and support in individual criminal investigations. Executive Director of Europol, Catherine De Bolle: For the EU to work effectively, it is essential that crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU are prosecuted and brought to justice. In this regard, the partnership being established today between Europol and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is crucial. I look forward to our two organisations working closely together with our complementary competences and tools to ensure, together with the Member States, that no crime against the EU’s budget goes unpunished. European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi: For the EPPO to be truly efficient and successful in bringing criminals to justice, we have to work closely together with our law enforcement partners in the EU. As the EU’s criminal information hub, Europol will play a key role in this and we will mutually benefit from a strong working relationship. Our cooperation with Europol is a strategic tool to better fight those trying to steal the money of European citizens. The Working Arrangement can be found here.

Europol supported the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and the US Drug Enforcement Administration to dismantle an organised crime group laundering money for major South American cartels. The criminal network was involved in debt collection and laundering of money coming from drug trafficking. They also provided so-called hitman services involving contract killings, threats and violence targeted at other criminal groups. The criminal organisation used the network of hitmen to collect payments across Spain from other criminal groups buying drugs from the South American cartels to redistribute them locally. The investigation identified also a number of ‘front men’ acquiring luxurious goods for the lifestyles of the group’s leaders. This was only a small part of a large money-laundering scheme that traded high-end cars and used smurfing techniques to place criminal profits into the financial system. Results 4 suspects arrested (Colombian, Spanish and Venezuelan nationals) 7 suspects charged with criminal offences 1 company charged with a criminal offence 3 home searches in Spain Seizures of high-end cars, luxury items, firearms and ammunition Europol facilitated the information exchange and provided analytical support during the whole investigation. Watch Video Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

A nation-wide operation led by the French Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie nationale) with the support of Europol that targeted suspects who sexually exploited children online has netted 14 arrests. Code-named ‘Horus’ the operation took place between 16 and 20 November 2020. The alleged suspects used social media networks to approach minors aged between 12 and 13 and lured them into sharing intimate images and videos. The arrested suspects are said to have had no links between them and three have already been sentenced. With investigations still ongoing, operation Horus has contributed to identifying eight potential victims and the seizure of 1 058 illicit images. Coordinated by C3N, the French Gendarmerie’s cybercrime centre, over 50 cyber-investigators tracked the online activities of a large volume of users. Suspected users often swapping pseudonyms made the investigations complex. Europol provided support during the action days with operational analysis and real-time database cross-checks to enable the identification of potential suspects and victims. Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supports competent authorities in Member States in preventing and detecting all forms of criminality associated with the sexual exploitation of children. It provides assistance and expertise in combating the distribution of child abuse material through all kinds of online environments and tackles all forms of criminal online behaviour against children, such as grooming, self-generated illicit material, sexual extortion and live-streaming. Online sexual coercion and extortion is a crime. # Say No! - A campaign against online sexual coercion and extortion of children

Police authorities in Berlin (Germany) and Poznan (Poland) have apprehended a group of fraudsters targeting elderly people with a phone scam similar to the one known as the ‘nephew trick’. The imposters called their potential victims in Austria and Germany pretending to be officials calling on behalf of their relatives in need of help. They called elderly people telling them that a relative had been involved in an accident and asked them for money so their relative would avoid arrest. The investigation into this criminal group started two weeks ago and resulted in an action day targeting the fraudsters on 14 January 2021. Europol facilitated the information exchange, provided analytical support and operational coordination. This operation is part of a dedicated project set up at Europol targeting crime against the elderly. On the action day, officers from Poznan detained three individuals suspected of making the calls while the German officers arrested the alleged collector of the funds in Dortmund. Digital equipment used to commit the crime (computers, mobile phones, SIM cards) was seized. ‘Help me aunty, I’m in trouble!’: imposters target the most vulnerable Crime against the elderly is a growing phenomenon both within and outside the EU. Aside from the financial loss, there is also a considerable psychological impact on the victims. In different cases, criminals pretend to be a relative or even a representative of different authorities: a police officer, lawyer, judge or tax investigator. Criminals ask the victims to transfer or hand over money to cover treatment costs or to prevent the relative for prosecution or detention. The fraudsters even show up at their victims’ doorsteps to pick up the money, abusing the vulnerability of the elderly. As this crime has been reported in several EU countries, Europol set up a dedicated project on crime against the elderly in 2010. Europol is currently supporting several ongoing investigations targeting this fraud. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

The suspect was part of the so-called Islamic State in the Iraqi-Syrian conflict zone. Europol supported an operation of the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) leading to the arrest of a member of the so-called Islamic State. The suspect had recently returned from the conflict zone on the border of Iraq and Syria. Two other individuals associated with the suspect were also arrested during the operation in Barcelona. On 24 December law enforcement officers detected a potentially dangerous individual that had recently arrived in Spain. The investigation determined that this individual was hiding out in a run-down property in Barcelona. Officers later discovered that the suspect was not living there alone. The fact that the suspect was so determined to cover their tracks and the risk of their location meant officers were swift to act and arrest the individuals. The individual, a jihadist returning from the Iraqi-Syrian conflict zone, would have been active as a member of the so-called Islamic State for a considerable amount of time. On his way back from the conflict zone, the suspect travelled through Iraq, Turkey and Senegal where he continued his terrorist activity. Before entering Spain, the suspect was based in Algeria, where he was in touch with a branch of the so-called Islamic State in North Africa. This arm of the so-called Islamic State has been subject to significant law enforcement operations in recent weeks. Europol facilitated the information exchange and supported the case with operational analysis. On the action day, Europol provided support by deploying two experts to Spain to cross-check operational information against Europol’s databases and provide links to investigators in the field. Europol also provided technical support for the analysis of the seized electronic devices. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, we support the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer. Watch the video

DarkMarket, the world's largest illegal marketplace on the dark web, has been taken offline in an international operation involving Germany, Australia, Denmark, Moldova, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (the National Crime Agency), and the USA (DEA, FBI, and IRS). Europol supported the takedown with specialist operational analysis and coordinated the cross-border collaborative effort of the countries involved. DarkMarket in figures: almost 500 000 users; more than 2 400 sellers;  over 320 000 transactions; more than 4 650 bitcoin and 12 800 monero transferred.  At the current rate, this corresponds to a sum of more than €140 million. The vendors on the marketplace mainly traded all kinds of drugs and sold counterfeit money, stolen or counterfeit credit card details, anonymous SIM cards and malware. Germany takes the lead The Central Criminal Investigation Department in the German city of Oldenburg arrested an Australian citizen who is the alleged operator of DarkMarket near the German-Danish border over the weekend. The investigation, which was led by the cybercrime unit of the Koblenz Public Prosecutor's Office, allowed officers to locate and close the marketplace, switch off the servers and seize the criminal infrastructure – more than 20 servers in Moldova and Ukraine supported by the German Federal Criminal Police office (BKA). The stored data will give investigators new leads to further investigate moderators, sellers, and buyers.  Europol's involvement Facilitated international information exchange. Provided specialist operational support. Provided advanced analytics that assisted the German authorities in identifying and tracking down the alleged administrator. Supported Germany in coordinating the cross-border collaborative effort involving international partners. Europol's Dark Web Team One of Europol's initiatives is to create a coordinated law enforcement approach to tackle crime on the dark web. This involves law enforcement agencies from across and outside the EU and other relevant partners and organisations, such as Eurojust. To achieve this goal, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) has established a dedicated Dark Web Team to work together with EU partners and law enforcement across the globe to reduce the size of this underground illegal economy. It will deliver a complete, coordinated approach: sharing information; providing operational support and expertise in different crime areas; developing tools, tactics and techniques to conduct dark web investigations; identifying threats and targets. The team also aims to enhance joint technical and investigative actions, organise training and capacity-building initiatives, together with prevention and awareness-raising campaigns – a 360° strategy against criminality on the dark web. A shared commitment across the law enforcement community worldwide and a coordinated approach by law enforcement agencies have once again proved their effectiveness. The scale of the operation at Europol demonstrates the global commitment to tackling the use of the dark web as a means to commit crime. Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

In December, Europol and Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency signed an agreement to exchange liaison officers. The agreement is part of the Joint Action Plan signed by the Executive Directors of the two agencies last year, aimed at strengthening the agencies’ common effort in enhancing the security of EU citizens. The liaison officers will contribute to information exchange between both agencies. “I am looking forward to welcoming the first Europol liaison officer in Warsaw later this year. The exchange of information between the two agencies will improve the work of border guards and support investigations,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri. “I am glad to welcome the Frontex liaison officer to our headquarters in The Hague. With more than 250 officers from almost 50 countries and agencies, Europol hosts the biggest law enforcement network in Europe. Liaison officers meet and network daily under one roof; they build strong international working relationships, coordinate operational cooperation, and securely share criminal information and best practices,” added Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. The first liaison officers will start working in Warsaw and The Hague later this year.

This week, Europol and Eurojust signed a contribution agreement that will expand their partnership in supporting law enforcement and judicial authorities with cross-border access to electronic evidence. This new agreement, in place from January 2021 to June 2024, reinforces the success of the SIRIUS project and sets about its second phase of development and enhancement.  Launched by Europol in 2017, the SIRIUS project aims to foster the co-development of practical and innovative tools and solutions for EU law enforcement and judicial authorities that can support internet-based investigations. Eurojust has made a significant contribution to the SIRIUS project by providing the perspective of EU judicial authorities. Under this new agreement, Eurojust becomes a full partner of the project.  The practical measures outlined in the new agreement are:  strengthen and speed up direct cooperation between law enforcement authorities and online service providers to access e-evidence by exchanging experiences;  exchange best practices and training for EU practitioners on applicable rules in the US related to the mutual legal agreement procedure;  expand the geographical focus of SIRIUS to develop collaboration on existing initiatives and projects with selected non-EU countries based on the interest of EU Member States. About SIRIUS Created by Europol in October 2017, the SIRIUS Project is a central reference point in the European Union for knowledge sharing on digital cross-border investigations for law enforcement and judicial authorities. SIRIUS products and services are currently available to more than 5 000 practitioners, representing all EU Member States and 17 non-EU countries. Eurojust, a partner in the project since early 2018, has become a full co-beneficiary of the funded action. Moreover, the European Judicial Network also closely collaborates with the project. The SIRIUS project has received funding from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments.