Europol warns of rising organized crime across Europe

Organized crime is spreading across Europe, with an increasing propensity for violence among criminal networks posing significant problems in countries including Germany, according to the EU law enforcement agency Europol.

“Organized crime is on the rise. It exploits every weakness,” Europol Chief Catherine De Bolle told the German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The increasing drug trade is fueling this violence, with booming drug production in South and Central America flooding Europe with the drug, Europol reported.

“The situation is dramatic,” De Bolle stated, noting that the trade in other drugs is also increasing. Investigations by the Hague-based police authority reveal that 821 serious criminal networks are active within the European Union.

These organized crime groups, comprising over 25,000 members, are highly professional and ruthless, with drug trafficking being their main business.

Urgent appeal for resources

Europol emphasized that money earned from drugs in Europe largely stays on the continent and is reinvested in the local economy, further embedding organized crime. “This makes organized crime one of the greatest dangers of our time,” De Bolle declared.

To combat these criminal networks, police forces need advanced technical means, increased powers, and more personnel. “If we do not invest more, we will lose this fight,” De Bolle warned.

Escalating violence

The Union of German Criminal Investigators (BDK) has highlighted the severity of the issue following a violent conflict between German and Dutch drug gangs in the Cologne area. BDK’s North Rhine-Westphalia Chairman, Oliver Huth, cautioned against escalating crimes such as explosive attacks and kidnappings.

“The Netherlands must be a warning to us,” Huth told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper, noting that explosions in front of homes or businesses are common tactics used by drug gangs in the Netherlands.