Last July 16 the Commission has launched a structured reflection process for the review of the EU Anti-Fraud Architecture. The review complements the preparatory work on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF). Its aim is to ensure a strengthened and more efficient protection of the Union’s financial interests. The review of the EU Anti-Fraud Architecture […]
28 ‘Ndrangheta associates arrested for drug trafficking and violence
Europol has supported Italian law enforcement in dealing a heavy blow to the ‘Ndrangheta criminal organisation. In an action day conducted on 8 July 2025 across Italy, Spain and Albania, special intervention teams have arrested 28 suspected criminals of Italian and Albanian nationality. Among the individuals taken into custody is an Italian national from the […]
Two-way migrant smuggling network busted in France and Spain
Europol supported the French National Police (Police Nationale/OLTIM Perpignan) and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional/UCRIF Central) in dismantling an organised criminal network smuggling migrants of Algerian and Moroccan origin from Spain to France as well as in the opposite direction, from the United Kingdom to Spain. In addition to the arrests made in Spain […]
Crypto fraud ring in Spain scammed 5,000 victims worldwide
On 25 June 2025, the Spanish Guardia Civil, with the support of Europol and law enforcement from Estonia, France and the United States of America, arrested five members of a criminal network engaged in cryptocurrency investment fraud. The investigation identified that the perpetrators had laundered EUR 460 million in illicit profits stolen through crypto investment […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Latest study on Europe’s ecstasy market reveals new trends in production and trafficking
Criminal groups in Europe are adapting and expanding MDMA production, refining trafficking methods and extending their reach to new countries and regions. These are among the issues explored in a new analysis — EU Drug Market: MDMA — released last March 27th by Europol and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). The joint analysis from […]
12 members of an Irish high-risk criminal network arrested
This week, Irish and Spanish law enforcement authorities took decisive action against one of Ireland’s high-risk criminal networks. In a coordinated series of raids in both countries, An Garda Síochána and Guardia Civil officers arrested 12 suspects (6 in Ireland and 6 in Spain). The criminals are suspected of involvement in large-scale drug trafficking, mainly […]