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 […]
The DNA of organised crime is changing, as well as the threat to Europe
Europol’s EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA) 2025, published last March 18th, revealed how the very DNA of crime is shifting – reshaping the tactics, tools and structures employed by criminal networks. The EU-SOCTA offers one of the most thorough analyses conducted on the threats posed by serious organised crime to the EU’s […]
Europol’s work and developments in European security, new meeting in Warsaw
The Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group (JPSG) on Europol met in Warsaw today, bringing together Members of the European Parliament to discuss Europol’s work and the evolving security landscape. With serious and organised crime posing an increasing threat to communities across Europe, discussions focused on the Agency’s operational impact, strategic direction and future […]
Two Ukrainian brothers arrested on suspicion of leading a criminal gang
On 19 November 2024, law enforcement across Europe cracked down on a criminal network led by two Ukrainian brothers. The action day, which follows raids conducted in October 2024, saw the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of various criminal assets. In total, the operation, which took place over several months, led to the […]