Europol

• Up to EUR 50 000 for a passage to the UK: 19 suspected migrant smugglers arrested

  On 30 March 2025, Europol supported an action day against criminal networks smuggling migrants from Vietnam to the European Union and the United Kingdom. Law enforcement authorities across Europe have intensified their efforts to disrupt migrant smuggling networks as part of a coordinated whole-route approach addressing every stage of the criminal business model.

• From intelligence to conviction: Europol helps dismantle Terrorgram Collective

  A Canadian man has been sentenced by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to 20 years in prison for terrorism-related offences, following an investigation supported by Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC).The individual, based in Ontario’s Niagara region, pleaded guilty to producing and disseminating violent white supremacist propaganda as part of the online extremist network known as the “Terrorgram Collective”....

• Guns-for-cannabis network hit: Europol high-value target arrested in international action

  The main suspect, a Turkish national holding a Greek residence permit, is believed to have coordinated the sourcing and transport of firearms into Spain, while overseeing the purchase and onward distribution of drugs to countries including Greece and Bulgaria.Flow of illicit firearms into the EUThe investigation began in March 2025, when the Spanish Mossos d’Esquadra detected the illegal introduction of...

• Major operation targets one of Scotland’s most violent crime networks

  Violence, drugs and controlThe gang is known for using violence to dominate territory and protect its criminal activity. Investigators believe it maintained control over parts of the United Kingdom through intimidation, retaliation and organised violence tied to drug trafficking.While violence played out on the ground, senior figures operated from Spain and the United Arab Emirates, directing operations and managing profits...

• A legal vacuum on CSAM detection puts children at greater risk

  The removal of the current legal basis enabling voluntary detection by online platforms could have far-reaching implications for safeguarding children.Last year alone, Europol processed around 1.1 million of so-called CyberTips, originating from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), of relevance to 24 European countries. CyberTips contain multiple entities (files, videos, photos etc.) supporting criminal investigation efforts into...