Case Studies

Europol on ‘beyond the pandemic’

by Mark Rowe

Serious and organised crime is exploiting changes due to the pandemic, according to the European Union’s policing agency Europol.

A report by the agency, based in The Hague, notes that OCGs (organised crime groups) active during the COVID-19 pandemic are largely the same as before the crisis; ‘although some may have adapted their business models and switched to new crime opportunities’. Europol divides its findings into three, the short term (‘cybercriminals have been very quick in devising modi operandi and tools to exploit the crisis’); medium (again, largely in terms of cyber; ‘ continued lockdown and social distancing measures will only enhance the reliance on digital services to continue to work and interact’) and long term (highly profit-oriented OCGs are adaptable).

Away from cyber, the report on the long term says counterfeiters have already been among the biggest profiteers of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recession may further stimulate demand for cheaper daily consumer goods. And ‘previous economic crises have resulted in an increase in the number of incidents related to bank and loan fraud, money laundering and corruption’.

As for any economic downturn, the report argues that ‘economic disparity across Europe is making organised crime more socially acceptable as OCGs will increasingly infiltrate economically weakened communities to portray themselves as providers of work’.

Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said: “Serious and organised crime is exploiting the changing circumstances during the pandemic. From the onset of this crisis, Europol monitored these developments to help member states understand and tackle these emerging phenomena. The full impact of the pandemic – not only on crime but also more widely on society and the economy – is not yet apparent. However, law enforcement should be prepared to be able to respond to the warning signals as the world deals with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now more than ever, international policing needs to work with the increased connectivity both in the physical and virtual worlds. This crisis again proves that exchanging criminal information is essential to fighting crime within the law enforcement community. Europol, as the criminal information hub for all law enforcement organisations, will continue to play its part.”

For a download of the 16-page report, visit the Europol website.

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