Europol is the agency of the European Union

Our aim is to help achieve a safer Europe by supporting European Union law enforcement agencies in

O” ver 800 personnel at Europol customs and security services. enforcement operations, a hub headquarters in The Hague, the This multi-agency approach for criminal information, and Netherlands, work closely with helps to close information gaps a centre for law enforcement law enforcement colleagues and minimise the space in which expertise. in the EU and beyond towards criminals can operate. Working with EU law enforcement this common goal. Europol From our position at the heart authorities, our ultimate goal is of the European security to achieve a safer Europe for the kinds of law enforcement agencies, including regular and range of services. Europol border , gendarmerie, is a support centre for law ”

Eisenhowerlaan 73 2517 KK The Hague The Netherlands

PO Box 90850 2509 LW The Hague The Netherlands

Phone: +31 (0)70 302 50 00

www.europol.europa.eu Europol supports law enforcement colleagues by gathering, analysing and disseminating criminal intelligence and coordinating operations covering a wide range of areas, as illustrated below.

Illicit drugs are one of the major threats Trafficking in human beings (THB) affects all Facilitated illegal immigration is assisting, for Europol is the European Union’s Central to the health and security of EU citizens, EU countries, with the number of victims just in financial gain, entry into or residence in a country Office for combating euro counterfeiting. with up to two million problem drug Europe estimated to be hundreds of thousands. in violation of that country’s laws. We cooperate closely with EU Member users. Fighting drug-related crime has This form of crime abuses individuals’ human The criminals involved in facilitated illegal States, the European Central Bank, Interpol been a priority for Europol since its very rights and treats men, women and children as immigration are often also involved in other and other partners to prevent and combat beginning. commodities through, for example, sexual and such as drug and people trafficking, the forgery of money and disrupt the labour exploitation. Europol’s experts support EU law forgery of passports/IDs and money laundering. organised crime groups behind it. enforcement authorities to disrupt the Europol regularly supports high-level human Europol provides support to major international Europol is involved in all major euro activities of criminal organisations that are trafficking investigations, providing on-the-spot investigations by coordinating operational counterfeiting investigations in the EU, producing and trafficking drugs such as operational support through our mobile office, activities, providing forensic and technical facilitating international cooperation, the heroin, cocaine, cannabis and synthetics. and giving access to our criminal databases and expertise, and access to criminal intelligence and exchange of criminal intellgence, providing analytical tools. This has resulted in disrupting Our specialist team also helps to safely analysis. technical and forensic support, and training. the activities of many criminal networks involved dismantle synthetic drugs laboratories in in THB. the field.

The piracy and counterfeiting industry It is estimated that the illicit tobacco trade The European Commission estimates that No crime is as borderless as cybercrime, is estimated to be worth up to US $200 costs the EU around 10 billion euros annually in VAT fraud costs the EU at least 60 billion euros with such investigations regularly involving billion and the goods produced cross every lost revenue. The vital revenue lost to tobacco annually. Missing trader intra-community hundreds of victims and suspects all over the imaginable product sector. Counterfeit smuggling could have been spent on essential (MTIC) fraud is tax fraud carried out by criminals world. In response to this growing threat, products are often inferior in quality, may public services such as schools, hospitals, roads attacking the VAT regimes of EU countries. the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at be unsafe and even lethal, produced in and law enforcement. Illegal tobacco is produced Europol is the focal point in the EU’s fight A mutuation from tangible goods-based fraud sweat shops which are ‘staffed’ by children with cheap materials, with little regard for health against cybercrime: pooling expertise and into service-based fraud has been experienced, who are paid very little. Counterfeiting or quality controls, often resulting in a seriously intelligence; supporting and mobilising law with criminals involved in carbon credit fraud in affects legitimate business, investment, unhealthy mix of chemicals and organic matter. enforcement resources for investigations; the environmental/energy markets. innovation and jobs. building operational and analytical capacity; Europol assists customs and other law Europol supports EU Member States’ and promoting EU-wide solutions. Europol’s intellectual property crime enforcement authorities to share intelligence, investigations by coordinating operations and (IPC) specialists support international resulting in the detection of illicit cargo and The EC3 team delivers high-level expertise disseminating intelligence to identify the most IPC investigations with law enforcement identification of the organised crime groups through three specialist teams that focus prominent criminal targets and bring them to and private sector partners, to protect involved. on combating child sexual exploitation, justice. consumers and identify the criminals payment card fraud and cybercrime, bringing behind these networks. cutting-edge support to EU law enforcement cybercrime investigations.

Mobile organised crime groups Most cases investigated by law enforcement Terrorism continues to pose a threat to Europe, The aim of the EU Policy Cycle on serious (MOCGs) operate with a high degree authorities have one common denominator – with extremist and terrorist groups active in the and organised crime (SOC) is to tackle the of flexibility and mobility in multiple a financial motive for committing the crime. EU and impacting the lives of its citizens. most relevant criminal threats to the EU and to jurisdictions and criminal sectors. Primarily Europol helps to prevent and combat criminal ensure a systematic approach by all EU actors to Europol assists EU Member States to conduct involved in property crime or fraud, these money laundering activities through a fight SOC. investigations in this area by providing criminals focus on activities such as: dedicated operational analysis project. intelligence exchange and support, and analytical The policy cycle starts with Europol’s Serious & (armed) robberies; burglaries; organised The Europol Criminal Assets Bureau helps products such as the annual EU Terrorism Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) shoplifting and pickpocketing; cargo and EU authorities to trace the proceeds of crime Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT). We provide which delivers an in-depth analysis of the metal theft; cash machine and cash-in- worldwide in investigations supported by various tools and platforms to help experts work major crime threats and helps define priorities transit attacks; theft of vehicles, trucks Europol. Europol also hosts the secretariat of the together and share knowledge in their diverse for the next four years. From this, coherent and heavy machinery from construction Camden Assets Recovery Inter-Agency Network specialist areas. and robust action plans are developed from sites, and even theft of rhino horn. (CARIN), whose aim is to assist cross-border EMPACT projects, to define operational goals for Europol also exchanges intelligence on maritime Europol works closely on investigations cooperation in tracing, freezing, seizing and combating each threat and to ensure effective piracy to identify the key perpetrators, logistical with law enforcement agencies from the confiscating criminal assets. cooperation between Europol, law enforcement assets and financial flows linked to these criminal EU and beyond to identify and dismantle and other partners. Major threats currently being activities. the criminal networks behind mobile tackled include crimes such as synthetic drugs, organised crime. cybercrime and trafficking in human beings.