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Hier — 18 mars 2024Europol

Three arrested in Spain following migrant deaths at sea

A join operation between the Spanish National Police (Polícia National) and the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil), supported by Europol, has led to the arrests of two men and a woman in Cádiz and Granada. The suspects carried out migrant smuggling activities, which resulted in deaths. The presumed members of the smuggling network allegedly facilitated the travel of migrants, in...
À partir d’avant-hierEuropol

42 arrested for smuggling migrants across the Danube

A cross-border investigation led by the Romanian Border Police (Poliția de Frontieră), supported by Europol and involving the Bulgarian General Directorate Combating Organised Crime (Главна Дирекция Борба с организираната престъпност) and the German Police (Bundespolizeiinspektion Waidhaus), has resulted in the dismantling of an organised crime group involved in migrant smuggling. The group were smuggling migrants from Bulgaria to Romania, across...

Time is up for criminal organisation counterfeiting luxury watches in Antwerp

During the action day on 12 March, authorities also conducted 26 searches in Belgium, Israel, Netherlands and Slovakia, resulting in the seizure of: 165 luxury watches with certificates, jewellery and other counterfeit products;200 diamonds;EUR 209 000 in cash;Crypto ledgers;Weapons;14 kg of drugs;Multiple electronic devices, including phones and computers;Credit cards and financial documentation.Additional involvement in drug traffickingThe investigation started in 2022, when...

13 victims of human trafficking safeguarded in Spain

The suspects were arrested in Madrid, Palma, Barcelona and Poland during an action day on 14 November 2023. Seven house searches were also carried out, with six in Palma and one in Barcelona, leading to the seizure of electronic devices, documentation, and EUR 15 000 in cash.The criminal network also profited from the sale of sexual invigorates, so that male...

19 smugglers arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia

Overall results of the two action days:The leader of the network (High Value Target), a woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina18 significant criminal organisation members arrested (9 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 9 in Croatia)10 locations searched (in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia)Seizures include vehicles, electronic equipment and about EUR 65 000 in cashShift in...

Tabletop exercise hosted by Europol to disrupt terrorist content online

Who was involved?This year's exercise brought together law enforcement representatives involved in applying both the EU Crisis Protocol and Regulation (EU) 2021/784, online service providers, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), as well as policymakers from governments and EU bodies.A rapid, coordinated response to terrorist content onlineThe EU Crisis Protocol, adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers...

57 men arrested for possessing and sharing over 100 000 depictions of child sexual abuse

Officers learned how to carry out targeted investigations against perpetrators suspected of abusing their own children or at least possessing and distributing material depicting the sexual abuse of children. During the action, over 100 000 illegal files were seized. As the forensic examination of the seized digital devices is still ongoing, investigators estimate that a final total of more than...

Almost 5 000 false identity documents seized in Greece

Overall results of the four action days:11 arrests (3 Palestinians, 3 Latvians, 2 Iranians, 2 Syrians, 1 Lebanese),4 print shops dismantled,Seizures including:4 650 illegal documents,electronic equipment,10 high-end laser printers and other equipment/material for the production of false documents,over EUR 20 000 in cash.Up to EUR 1 200 for a false IDThe investigation identified that the criminal network was active since...

Europol and EMCDDA spotlight drug-related violence in latest market overview

The new report offers a strategic and top-level summary of the EU drug market, based on a robust understanding of the current drug landscape and emerging threats. It also provides an overview of key developments by drug and outlines actions to address current threats and increase preparedness.The report is the final module of the broader EU Drug Markets: In-depth analysis...

Online Press Conference: EU Drug Market

The EU retail drug market is estimated to be worth at least EUR 30 billion annually and is a major source of income for organised crime. The large-scale production of cannabis and synthetic drugs taking place in the EU or the drug flows of particularly cocaine arriving from Latin America, are examples of how Europe takes a central position in...

53 members of a criminal organisation arrested for sports corruption in Spain

According to Spanish authorities, the criminal network fixed football, tennis and table tennis matches in more than 20 countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia and Bolivia. The suspects sold their personal data and betting platform account details to the criminal network. With this information, the kingpins of the organisation would bet massively on predetermined results, defrauding betting houses and obtaining...

Eight arrested for sexual exploitation in Belgium and Hungary

The action day in mid-February led to the arrests of eight suspects in Belgium and Hungary. Officers in Belgium arrested four Belgian, one French and one Hungarian, while officers in Hungary arrested one Belgian and one Hungarian national. During the raids, authorities seized 16 high-end vehicles, luxury goods including jewellery and luxury watches, digital equipment, and mobile phones, as well...

Europol supports EPPO investigation into EUR 195 million VAT fraud scheme

Over 180 searches were carried out simultaneously in Albania, Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.  Over 680 tax and police investigators supported the investigative measures. During the searches, law enforcement seized vast quantities of smartphones, worth more than EUR 15.3 million, as well as a yacht, worth...

Full-scale action against money laundering network via Lithuanian financial institution for over EUR 2 billion

A third main suspect, leading another organised crime group (OCG), was arrested in the same operation for defrauding the Italian authorities of EUR 15 million in public funds. These funds were laundered via the same web of myriad enterprises, centred around the financial institution in Lithuania.During an action day on 27 February, around 250 judicial representatives and law enforcement officers...

Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians visit Europol

Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Belgians have visited Europol today in The Hague, the Netherlands, where they heard about the Agency’s work in helping EU Member States fight serious and organised crime across Europe.Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle welcomed their Majesties, who were accompanied by the Belgian Minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden.Their Majesties and the...

Five High Value Targets arrested as one of the largest networks smuggling migrants across the English Channel halted

The action day on 21 February led to:19 arrests in Germany (7 under Belgian judicial order and 12 under French judicial order)5 High Value Targets (the leader and the main organisers) arrested28 locations (19 houses and 9 storage places) searched in GermanySeizures include: 24 inflatable boats, 175 life vests, 81 flotation devices for children, 60 air pumps, 13 outboard mounts,...

Over 100 searches and 4 arrests in France, Germany, Italy, Latvia and Malta against financial institution involved in money laundering

During the action day, over 460 police officers were deployed to carry out the searches. Germany also deployed four officers to support the investigations and searches in Latvia and Malta. In addition to the arrests, various bank accounts and properties were seized.The Maltese financial institution laundered at least EUR 4.5 million in proceedings from criminal activities since end of 2015....

Crackdown on multimillion euro VAT fraud involving car sales

Three individuals, suspected of being the ringleaders of the fraud scheme, were arrested in Germany. During the searches, carried out in several locations across Germany (including Munich, Cologne and Rostock) and Italy, over 40 expensive vehicles and a luxury apartment in Munich were seized. In addition, several bank accounts, valuing over EUR 1.2 million were frozen. Law enforcement seized cash...

Ongoing action targets large migrant smuggling network

A large-scale operation involving law enforcement and judicial authorities from Belgium, France and Germany and coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, has led to the dismantling of one of the most active networks involved in the smuggling of migrants across the English Channel in small boats. The investigation focused on an Iraqi-Kurdish network suspected of smuggling middle-Eastern and East African irregular migrants...

Law enforcement disrupt world’s biggest ransomware operation

LockBit is widely recognised as the world’s most prolific and harmful ransomware, causing billions of euros worth of damage.This international sweep follows a complex investigation led by the UK's National Crime Agency in the framework of an international taskforce known as ‘Operation Cronos’, coordinated at European level by Europol and Eurojust.The months-long operation has resulted in the compromise of LockBit’s...

Properties worth EUR 48 million frozen after cocaine sweep in Ecuador and Spain

The joint action day in Spain and Ecuador led to:31 arrests (13 in Spain and 18 in Ecuador);2 High Value Targets arrested;66 location searches (22 in Spain and 40 in Ecuador);Seizures included: 25 vehicles, 10 firearms, electronic equipment estimated at about EUR 13 million and almost EUR 3 million cash in various currencies, including euros; Property frozen for a total value...

Fake medicines worth EUR 64 million off EU markets

Europol supported this wide-reaching operation with several operational meetings and the deployment of specialists with mobile offices offering analytical and forensic support. Operation SHIELD’s 2023 edition was led by a steering group composed of Italian, French, Greek and Spanish law enforcement authorities.  The trafficking of pharmaceuticals is a growing issue in the European Union and beyond. The investigations under SHIELD...

International cybercrime malware service targeting thousands of unsuspecting consumers dismantled

On 7 February, two suspects were arrested in Malta and Nigeria in the framework of the operation. The suspects are accused of selling the malware and supporting cybercriminals who used the malware for malicious purposes. Europol provided analytical support to the investigation which led to the operation involving Australia, Canada, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Malta, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Romania and the United...

EUR 1 million in assets seized in hit against ID forgers

The Carabinieri Anti-Money Counterfeiting Command of Rome initiated the investigation into this criminal network in September 2020. This uncovered that the suspected members had allegedly facilitated illegal immigration through the production and dissemination of fake driving licences, registration documents, and national identification documents. The criminal network is also suspected of forging and trafficking foreign currency banknotes.Faking EU IDs and Congolese...

Joint Statement on Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure Vulnerabilities

Following the initial disclosure of two vulnerabilities at the beginning of January, two additional vulnerabilities were disclosed on 31 January 2024, which impact all supported versions of Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure Gateway products and make it possible for attackers to run commands on the system. Broader exploitation of the initially disclosed vulnerabilities had been observed already as...

Major blow to Albanian drug trafficking network: 59 arrests across Europe

Initial investigations against the OCG were launched in 2019 by the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) of Florence – District Antimafia Directorate. From January 2020, the Italian and Albanian authorities of the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) in Tirana contacted Eurojust to coordinate cross-border judicial cooperation against this complex network. It operated from both Albania and Italy, transporting drugs by car to...

Europol supports EMPACT action week at 61 airports across 36 countries worldwide

During the action week, the involved authorities carried out checks on passengers and their luggage, as well as on parcels and cargo shipments, at 61 major airports. The checks aimed at detecting the possession or trafficking of drugs, especially cocaine, originating from Latin America. Another objective was to enhance the cooperation between police and customs authorities on both sides of...

Europol and Frontex forge closer cooperation

The mandates of both EU agencies have been significantly enhanced in recent years, opening new possibilities to work together, particularly in the fields of migrant smuggling and human trafficking. The joint statement outlines how the two agencies can better coordinate their activities to complement each other. The statement identifies concrete short and long-term priority actions. In practice, Frontex’s role is to provide...

15 arrested for arranging sham marriages in Cyprus

The investigation into this criminal network uncovered that the suspects allegedly recruited Latvian and Portuguese nationals and facilitated their journeys to Cyprus, where the women entered into arranged marriages with third-country nationals. The suspects, mainly Indian, Pakistani and Portuguese citizens, arranged all the logistics including the purchase of flight tickets and the acquisition of passports and other required documents. The OTF’s...

15 arrested in intercontinental crackdown against Nigerian crime syndicates

Results of the operation include:15 persons arrested18 victims or possible human trafficking victims detected4 new investigations initiated398 flights monitored13 harbours monitored19 postal services and express delivery companies monitored57 checkpoints at borders and hotspots establishedSerious organised crime coordinated from NigeriaNigerian criminal networks have long been renowned for trafficking in human beings and a variety of fraud, but in recent years they...

Three arrested for exporting military goods to Russia

Deliberate breach of EU sanctions against RussiaInvestigations into the case were initiated at the end of 2022 by the Dutch authorities and led to the uncovering of a web of enterprises that were used to circumvent the ban for exports to Russia. Europol supported the investigation by providing analytical support, as well as conducting crosschecks on the data gathered during...

New report: Heroin and other opioids pose substantial threat to health and security in Europe

The analysis describes the European market for heroin (the most frequently used illicit opioid), from production and trafficking, to distribution and use. It also details the processes, materials and criminal actors involved at different stages and levels of the market. Where available, data on heroin are supplemented by insights into other opioids trafficked and consumed in the EU. The EU retail...

New Service Level Agreement concluded with the PMO

This message is addressed to former staff of Europol.By means of the new Service Level Agreement, Europol has continued the practice of delegating the following services to the European Commission Pay Master Office (PMO):Sickness insurance - Accidents - Occupational Disease UnemploymentPayment of Retirement Pension - Survivors and Orphans Pension – Transfer IN and Transfer OUT – Severance Grant Invalidity AllowanceBy delegating the...

Season 2 of The Europol Podcast officially launched

What is The Europol Podcast about?In season 1, Europol agents and police from around the world took listeners behind the scenes on some of our biggest operations against serious and organised crime. Episodes covered all kinds of crimes that Europol investigates, from drug trafficking to cybercrime. In season 2, we have an all-new selection of cases and topics for you to...

Cryptojacker arrested in Ukraine over EUR 1.8 million mining scheme

The 29-year-old individual was apprehended in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on 9 January. Three properties were searched to gather evidence against the main suspect. The arrest comes after months of intensive collaboration between Ukrainian authorities, Europol and a cloud provider, who worked tirelessly to identify and locate the individual behind the widespread cryptojacking operation.The suspect is believed to have mined over USD...

Criminals responsible for stealing 28 luxury cars arrested

During the action day, houses were searched simultaneously in several Lithuanian cities. In addition to the arrest of the two criminal masterminds behind the criminal network, a large amount of evidence was seized. Officers found raw materials for the production of vehicle number plates, as well as forged registration stickers in a metal processing workshop with embossing tools. A range of...

Major bust of a notorious narcotics clan in Spain and Portugal

Drug trafficking operations on the high seasThe investigation was initiated in February 2023, when law enforcement authorities gathered evidence of drug trafficking by known local narcotics clans along the Portuguese coast. The drug trafficking operations were carried out by retrieving cocaine shipments in the waters of the Atlantic. Portuguese authorities seized one such shipment of cocaine in Peniche (Portugal). The...

Action against digital skimming reveals 443 compromised online merchants

Digital skimming is the act of stealing credit card information or payment card data from customers of an online store. Criminals use sophisticated information technology to intercept data during the online checkout process, without customers or online merchants noticing anything unusual.Data theft often goes unnoticedDigital skimming attacks can go undetected for a long time. Payment or credit card information stolen...

Crackdown on material designed to ‘educate’ future terrorists

The referral actions targeted online content, including instruction materials and manuals used by terrorists with various ideological motivations (jihadist, right-wing and left-wing extremist, anarchist, etc). The actions focused on materials comprised of topics related to the means, but also the techniques of committing violent acts: how to prepare and carry out terrorist attacks. Another focus of the RAD was online terrorist...

Police track down criminal network behind shock calls terrifying elderly across Europe

During the operational phase, specialised police departments and public prosecutors' offices from all 16 German Federal States carried out enforcement actions, alongside the German Federal Criminal Police Office and their counterparts in Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. Europol coordinated the international activity.  Around 1 000 law enforcement officers, including special intervention units, were involved daily in this operational phase.Thanks to...

Europol publishes IOCTA spotlight report on online fraud schemes

Fraud schemes are perpetrated with the intention of defrauding victims of their assets using false and deceitful pretexts, or with the use of cyberattack techniques. This results in the voluntary or involuntary transfer of personal or business information, money or goods to criminals.From ATM attacks and account takeovers to skimming and shimming, the wide availability of crime-as-a-service has made this...

SIRIUS 2023 report: Navigating the new era of obtaining electronic evidence

This report was first presented at the SIRIUS Annual Conference. Over 900 participants took part in this hybrid conference between 21-23 November 2023. The latest SIRIUS publication outlines the experiences of EU authorities in retrieving electronic data held by foreign-based service providers, as well as their experiences in delivering data for the purpose of criminal investigations over the past year. The report...

Violent hate crimes targeted in joint action day

Law enforcement authorities targeted 209 individuals, mainly right and left wing extremists, for their alleged involvement in serious offences related to the spread of violent hate speech, incitement to commit violent hate crimes, and death threats. Some of the individuals are linked to religiously motivated extremism, while others are believed to have incited violence against politicians, violent acts towards the...

EU Most Wanted drug trafficker arrested in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The arrested individual was wanted by Slovenian authorities and was under investigation for drug trafficking and money laundering. Authorities believe the suspect recruited accomplices and provided them with vehicles with purpose-built hidden compartments in order to transport and sell cocaine and heroin. They would then launder the profits by purchasing real estate and luxury vehicles. During the operational activities, law...

14 members of a criminal network arrested in Belgium, Netherlands and Spain for drug trafficking

During the large-scale operation, which involved almost 200 police officers, law enforcement authorities also dismantled a laboratory in Belgium where members of the criminal organisation produced and stored synthetic drugs. Following production, the criminal group would smuggle the drugs across different countries in Europe. The action day on 12 December 2023 led to:16 locations searched (3 specific spots believed to be...

Prolific love: fourteen young victims of 'lover boys' saved in Spain

The joint investigation into this criminal network was initiated in 2021. The suspects recruited the victims, young women from Romania, via the so-called 'lover boy' method or by seducing them with the false promise of good work opportunities abroad. Once the girls were under their control, the suspects transported them to Spain and forced them into street prostitution. They coerced...

Successful police cooperation in fight against illegal timber trade

The operation led to:226 inspectionsSeizures include: timber from Myanmar with an estimated value of EUR 12 000; Brazilian timber - equivalent to 2 maritime containers - with an estimated value of EUR 67 0001 criminal investigation initiated.A lucrative practice with pernicious effects on climateIllegal timber trade is an ominous practice that entails the clear-cutting of an area of forest equivalent...

Europol warning on the criminal use of Bluetooth trackers for geolocalisation

For the past several years, Europol has been observing a growing crime phenomenon: the use of Bluetooth trackers in organised crime.Bluetooth trackers are small devices designed to help people find personal objects, such as keys and bags, as well as vehicles at risk of theft. They can be attached to an item one does not want to lose, and wirelessly...

Focus on the force: Unveiling the winners of the 2023 Europol photo competition

After a pre-selection process, 32 images were shortlisted and put to a vote. Three awards were up for grabs this year, each decided by a different group of voters:the international law enforcement community represented in our headquarters members of the public Europol staffWe are happy to announce that Caroline Cange from Belgium, Connie Maria Westergaard from Denmark, and Jan-Niklas Kansteiner from Germany...

EUR 5.5 million frozen in anti-corruption investigations across Europe

Europol’s latest Serious and Organised Crime Threat assessment (EU SOCTA) report highlights that 60% of the criminal networks use corruption to facilitate their criminal activities. Continuing the fight against corruption is therefore crucial to bring down the criminal networks that pose the most serious risks to the security of EU citizens. Swift and close cooperation between national authorities is decisive in...
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