An international firearms trafficking network smuggling assault rifles and grenades into Western Europe has been dismantled following a series of coordinated raids in France, Spain and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the gang, which is believed to have sourced high-powered weapons from illegal markets in the Western Balkans and […]
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Europol backs takedown of gang smuggling hazardous cars from US
Europol supported an action led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin (Germany) and Vilnius (Lithuania), which involved around 1 000 police, tax and customs officers carrying out 200 searches in ten countries. The investigation targeted a vast criminal organisation active in smuggling badly damaged cars from the United States (US) into the […]
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Encrypted app reveals criminal networks across Europe
Law enforcement authorities across Europe and Türkiye have dismantled four major criminal networks responsible for fuelling the flow of drugs into the EU and Türkiye, following a series of coordinated raids supported by Europol. These results were made possible by the continued exploitation of encrypted communication platforms, including Sky ECC and ANOM, which remain powerful […]
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Cambios en los programas de financiación de la UE en materia de defensa
New targeted amendments to existing EU funding programmes will support faster, more flexible and coordinated investments in Europe’s defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB). Under a new Regulation to stimulate defence-related investments within the EU budget proposed today by the Commission, the EU will strengthen its defence Readiness 2030 and to implement the ReArm Europe plan. The proposed […]
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Preventing the abuse of biometric recognition technology
Europol’s tech experts team up with practitioners and academia to spearhead research against the potential exploitation of biometric identification systems. A new Europol report looks at the ubiquitous biometric recognition technology and its potential for exploitation by criminals. Biometric recognition technology is a trusted and reliable way to verify identities and is now widely used […]
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A new way to combat claims and fake news
Misinformation spreads on the internet faster than you can say… misinformation. Today’s digital landscape is littered with misleading stories and half-truths. Lies travel much faster than facts. “Misinformation is a threat to society and the functioning of democracies worldwide,” warn the authors of the research published in the journal Nature Communications. “It has been shown […]
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Global crackdown on Kidflix, a major child sexual exploitation platform with almost two million users
Kidflix, one of the largest paedophile platforms in the world, has been shut down in an international operation against child sexual exploitation. The investigation was supported by Europol and led by the State Criminal Police of Bavaria (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB). Over 35 countries worldwide participated […]
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6 tips to spot and stop information manipulation
Information manipulation can prevent people from making informed decisions by misleading them. New technologies allow false or distorted content to spread faster and on a larger scale than ever before. To stop its harm, it is needed to learn how to recognise it. Factchecking can help set the record straight. Empowering citizens, independent fact-checkers and civil society is therefore essential. What […]
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Commission unveils “ProtectEU”, the new European Internal Security Strategy
The European Commission presented on 1 April ProtectEU: A European Internal Security Strategy to support Member States and strengthen the EU’s capacity to ensure the security of its citizens. The Strategy sets out an ambitious vision and roadmap for the coming years, with a stronger set of legal instruments, increased information exchange and closer cooperation. […]
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