https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom en https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/drug-crackdown-in-spain-sees-millions-of-euros%E2%80%99-worth-of-criminal-assets-seized-help-of-europol Over 8 million of euros worth of criminal assets have been seized and 75 suspects arrested during a crackdown on an international marijuana trafficking network operating from the Spanish province of Granada. Code-named ‘Vangelis’, this operation was led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) who worked closely together on this case with the Polish Police Central Bureau of Investigation (Centralne Biuro Śledecze Policji) and Europol. Thu, 13 Aug 2020 10:53:51 +0200 CorpComm_NS https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/drug-crackdown-in-spain-sees-millions-of-euros%E2%80%99-worth-of-criminal-assets-seized-help-of-europol https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/police-in-spain-smash-sham-marriage-ring-charging-migrants-%E2%82%AC20000-for-bogus-nuptials The Spanish National Police (Policia Nacional) have arrested 12 suspected members of a sham marriage network which facilitated illegal immigration into the European Union by setting up partnerships of convenience between Indian and Pakistani migrants and Romanian nationals. Wed, 12 Aug 2020 11:02:55 +0200 CorpComm_NS https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/police-in-spain-smash-sham-marriage-ring-charging-migrants-%E2%82%AC20000-for-bogus-nuptials https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/7-suspects-arrested-in-spain-and-france-after-6-million-of-cigarettes-seized On 22 July, Guardia Civil and customs officers raided in the Spanish town of Borjas Blancas an illegal tobacco factory producing 9,000 cigarettes per hour. 7 people were arrested in connection with these raids, including the criminal ringleader at his private residence in the town of Mataró, his accomplice in the town of La Junquera and 2 factory workers arrested at the scene, all of them Lithuanian and Polish nationals.  3 drivers were also arrested in earlier actions against this organised crime group. Thu, 06 Aug 2020 16:47:01 +0200 CorpComm_NS https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/7-suspects-arrested-in-spain-and-france-after-6-million-of-cigarettes-seized https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/euro-counterfeit-ring-circulated-fake-banknotes-italy-to-spain-busted The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), with support from Europol arrested seven individuals and dismantled a criminal network suspected of distributing counterfeit banknotes in Spain which were produced in Italy. It is estimated that the network distributed €30 000 in €20 and €50 counterfeit banknotes in Spain. Thu, 06 Aug 2020 10:51:34 +0200 CorpComm_NS https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/euro-counterfeit-ring-circulated-fake-banknotes-italy-to-spain-busted https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/how-are-organised-crime-groups-involved-in-sports-corruption Today, Europol publishes its report, The involvement of organised crime groups in sports corruption. The report highlights the link between sports corruption and organised crime: the characteristics of criminal networks, their structure and their modus operandi. In addition, the report analyses the different types of match-fixing as the most prominent form of sports corruption monitored by Europol.  Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:37:56 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/how-are-organised-crime-groups-involved-in-sports-corruption https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/7-arrested-in-poland-in-latest-sting-against-illegal-tobacco The Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna) have arrested 7 individuals and seized €60,000 in cash following raids in the province of Warsaw last week.  These raids were part of an ongoing crackdown on an organised crime group running an illegal tobacco production line. Earlier in February of this year, 21 other members of the same organisation were detained and close to €2 million (7.6 million PLN) worth of cigarettes were seized.  Tue, 04 Aug 2020 11:20:07 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/7-arrested-in-poland-in-latest-sting-against-illegal-tobacco https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/beating-tax-cheats-two-arrests-in-italy-in-fuel-fraud-raid Two men have been arrested and a suspected fuel laundering site dismantled as part of an investigation led by the Italian Finance Corps (Guardia Di Finanza) into fuel fraud. The Guardia di Finanza officers from Trieste, supported by their colleagues in Rome, carried out a search of an industrial address on the outskirts of Rome. A suspected fuel laundering plant was dismantled, and 40,000 litres of fuel seized, along with specialised equipment thought to be used in the laundering process.  Fri, 31 Jul 2020 13:11:20 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/beating-tax-cheats-two-arrests-in-italy-in-fuel-fraud-raid https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/online-jihadist-propaganda-2019-in-review Today, Europol publishes the second edition of its annual report on online Jihadist propaganda. The report by the European Union’s Internet Referral Unit (EU IRU) at Europol covers the period from 1 January to 31 December 2019 and highlights the major trends and developments in propaganda of the most prominent Sunni jihadist organisations. Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:39:39 +0200 CorpComm_NS https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/online-jihadist-propaganda-2019-in-review https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/no-more-ransom-how-4-millions-victims-of-ransomware-have-fought-back-against-hackers While the world is in the grip of a coronavirus outbreak, another virus is quietly wreaking havoc. Although this virus has been around for years, its cases have been rising alarmingly in the past few months and has brought critical activities such as hospitals and governments to a standstill. This virus is ransomware, but a free scheme called No More Ransom is helping victims fight back without paying the hackers. Fri, 24 Jul 2020 13:02:16 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/no-more-ransom-how-4-millions-victims-of-ransomware-have-fought-back-against-hackers https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/europol-launches-new-grant-scheme-to-combat-high-risk-organised-crime-groups On 23 July 2020, Europol launched an open-ended invitation to submit applications for funding of coordinated operational activities against individuals and organised crime networks that pose a high risk of serious and organised crime to EU Member States. It aims to provide targeted financing for activities of the operational task forces set up in accordance with Europol’s Standard Operating Procedure. Fri, 24 Jul 2020 15:35:50 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/europol-launches-new-grant-scheme-to-combat-high-risk-organised-crime-groups https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/end-of-road-for-keyless-car-thieves-in-germany-and-poland German and Polish law enforcement authorities, supported by Europol, dismantled a network of thieves stealing expensive cars equipped with KEYLESS GO systems.  Wed, 22 Jul 2020 15:08:46 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/end-of-road-for-keyless-car-thieves-in-germany-and-poland https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/320-tonnes-of-potentially-dangerous-dairy-products-taken-market-in-operation-opson-ix-targeting-food-fraud Europol and INTERPOL coordinated operation OPSON 2020 which targeted trafficking of counterfeit and substandard food and beverages. Tue, 21 Jul 2020 17:43:55 +0200 CorpComm_SL https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/320-tonnes-of-potentially-dangerous-dairy-products-taken-market-in-operation-opson-ix-targeting-food-fraud