Europol

Europe News

Over 230 arrested as Europol dismantles drug smuggling networks

Europol said the investigation, codenamed Operation Bulut, took place across multiple jurisdictions and involved authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

15/04/2025

Europe News

Report: European firms risk sanctions breaches with shady transactions

According to a report by the Catholic University of Milan presented to Europol, global markets, real-time transactions and transnational crime are exposing European companies to great risks. Euronews unpicks why.

11/04/2025

Netherlands

How transnational mafiosi became the new generals of hybrid warfare

Europol’s report “EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment 2025” spotlights “DNA mutation” of organised crime, an alarming destabilizing factor for democratic political systems through war and new technologies

19/03/2025

Russia

Four Russian nationals behind 8Base ransomware arrested, says Europol

A complex international operation involving 14 coordinated law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of four Russian nationals behind the 8Base ransomware group.

12/02/2025

Europe News

One of Europe's most wanted fugitives 'is hiding out' in Sierra Leone

The Netherlands and Sierra Leone are investigating reports that the Dutch cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers is living in the West African nation.

28/01/2025

Europe News

Europol dismantles network of illegal sports streaming providers

The operation involved 15 countries, including Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

03/01/2025

Tech News

European authorities dismantle criminal messaging service Matrix

European authorities took down another sophisticated encrypted messaging app that was a hub for criminals, Europol said.

04/12/2024

Tech News

Europol arrests 51 people and dismantles platform used for cybercrime

Europol arrests 51 people connected to Ghost, a platform used by cybercriminals for large-scale drug trafficking and money laundering.

19/09/2024

Poland

Poland's biggest synthetic opioid lab destroyed in Europol drug bust

Law enforcement agencies seized nearly 200 kg of crystal methadone as part of the cross-border operation.

30/08/2024

Germany

Germany and Sweden arrest 8 on suspicion of war crimes in Syria

The atrocities allegedly took place at a Palestinian refugee camp cordoned off by the Assad regime.

03/07/2024

Tech News

Commission seeks closer ties with Latin America to tackle drug traffic

Cooperation with drug exporting countries would enable Europol to access more data on illegal activities .

30/05/2024

Tech News

Four arrested in world’s largest malware network operation - Europol

Police arrested four people and took down 100 servers across Europe and North America in what Europol said was the biggest sweep against malware ever conducted.

30/05/2024

Culture news

ICYMI: EU Police bust what’s believed to be an antique book theft ring

In a coordinated operation, law enforcement arrested a group of Georgian nationals suspected of running a criminal operation stealing antique and rare books from European libraries.

30/04/2024

World News

Police rumble gang stealing antique books across Europe

Works by Russian literary greats such as Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol were substituted with valueless counterfeits from European libraries.

25/04/2024

Belgium

UK woman murdered in Belgium identified after international appeal

‘The woman with the flower tattoo’ is named as Rita Roberts after 31 years.

14/11/2023

World News

'Lone wolves': Who is recruiting Europe's biggest terror threat?

Europol warns that lone actors will carry out the majority of terrorist attacks in the EU - with Islamist terrorism the biggest threat in Western Europe.

26/10/2023

World News

Eel smuggling ring busted by European police

More than 25 tonnes of trafficked eels worth €13 million were seized by Europol.

29/06/2023

Serbia

Europol arrests Balkan drug traffickers using a secret chat platform

The Europol team was able to trace the criminal network by accessing their communications on Sky ECC, a popular messaging service for the underworld, akin to WhatsApp for criminals.

12/05/2023

Tech News

Europol is worried criminals may exploit powers of ChatGPT. Here’s why

ChatGPT and similar AI tools are proving useful in many different contexts - and Europol worries they may be just as useful to criminals.

08/05/2023

Tech News

The dark web: A safe haven for some, a gangsters' paradise for many

An international crackdown on marketplaces on the dark web has brought the fight against illegal trades to shadowy corners of the Internet.

04/05/2023