International
Europol identifies 821 “threatening” criminal networks in the EU, many active in Spain
The Europol agency has identified 821 “very threatening” organized crime networks in the European Union, many of them active in Spain among other countries, in a report published this Friday, the first that analyzes in depth the details that make these organizations so dangerous.
The study, presented in Brussels, is based on the data provided by EU Member States and other countries and is a “step” to understand how these networks work and what their basic capabilities are, Europol said.
In Spain they operate networks integrated by nationals of Eastern countries, as well as Belgian-Dutch, Baltic, Romanian or Polish, among others.
“Each of the 821 most threatening criminal networks identified is unique. They vary significantly in terms of composition, structure, criminal activity, territorial control, duration over time, types of cooperation and a variety of other dimensions,” the document says.
However, there are some common characteristics that make them especially “threatening,” starting with their infiltration into the legal system, which make a network “omnipresent and destructive.”
In fact, more than 80% of active criminal networks in the EU misuse legal business structures (LBS) for their criminal activities.
The data show that these structures are infiltrated or used by criminal networks “in almost all sectors, including tourism, recycling, welfare and sports associations, as well as in retail and cultural activities.”
Three sectors are particularly affected by infiltration or criminal abuse: construction, hospitality and logistics, that is, transport and import and export companies.
Another characteristic of the most dangerous organizations is their “agility” to “infiltrate extensively” and the application of strategies that allow them to endure over time.
In addition, “they have no borders”, their scope is international as well as the members that make them up, although they often limit their criminal activity to a region or a limited number of countries.
About how they are directed, Europol explains that although there is usually a strong leadership close to operations, it is also possible to maintain control remotely.
They tend to specialize in a main business and operate with a wide degree of independence.
As for their activity, half of these organizations are involved in drug trafficking as their main business, although they are also dedicated to fraud, property-related crimes, migrant and human trafficking.
Money laundering is mainly done through the real estate sector (this is the case in 41% of cases).
Other common money laundering techniques include investments in high-value goods such as gold and luxury goods (27%), the use of cash-intensive businesses, for example in the hotel sector (20%) and the use of cryptocurrencies (10%).
As an example, the report cites the case of an Italian businessman of Argentine origin based in Marbella who uses his companies to hide both drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
Among those he directs is one that imports bananas from Ecuador to the EU and also has sports centers in Marbella, shopping centers in Granada and multiple bars and restaurants.
An Albanian accomplice of his, based in Ecuador, is in charge of the import of cocaine from Colombia to Ecuador and its subsequent distribution to the EU.
According to Europol, Ecuadorian fruit companies are used as a facade for these criminal activities.
Although not all networks use violence and corruption, doing so increases their level of threat.
There are other elements to better understand how they work but that do not necessarily make them more dangerous, starting with their structure.
Most are organized in a hierarchical way, and although strong leadership is important, it is not necessarily linked to specific individuals and in some cases it is replaceable (by inheritance, delegation or reorganization) and continues even after the sentence.
As for the nationalities of the members, the report points to the existing “great variety” and emphasizes that, in addition to the common criminal objective, “criminal networks are formed and persist due to a strong social cohesion,” something that also serves to attract young people.
When fighting them, Europol indicates, “not only the main criminal activities, but also the support and subsidiary activities that allow and support the networks and allow them to last long periods,” as well as the need for “international and interregional cooperation” must be examined.
International
Pope Francis meets former Gaza hostages
Pope Francis met on Thursday at the Vatican with 16 Israelis who had been held hostage in Gaza for months by the Islamist group Hamas, according to the official Vatican news website.
The group consisted of ten women, four men, and two children, as reported by the same source. Several of the former hostages showed the Argentine pontiff banners or photos of their loved ones who remain in captivity.
Francis had previously met with the families of hostages in April this year and November 2023, but this was the first time he had met with individuals who had personally endured captivity.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, the pope has repeatedly called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages, while also condemning the suffering of the Palestinian population.
The war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Islamist militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,206 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures that include hostages who died in captivity.
Of the kidnapped, 97 are still being held in Gaza, but the Israeli military estimates that 34 of them have died.
The military offensive launched by Israel in response has killed at least 43,736 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the Hamas-governed territory.
International
Israeli airstrikes on Damascus kill 15 and injure 16, including women and children
Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on residential buildings in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and its surroundings on Thursday, resulting in at least 15 deaths and 16 injuries, according to Syria’s Ministry of Defense and state television.
The ministry stated that around 3:20 p.m. local time (12:20 GMT), the Israeli military launched an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting several residential buildings in the Mazzeh neighborhood in western Damascus and the Qudsaya suburb to the northwest of the capital.
The airstrikes “resulted in the death of 15 people and injuries to 16 others, including women and children,” based on initial estimates, in addition to significant damage to private property and civilian buildings, the ministry added.
Meanwhile, state television reported Israeli airstrikes on three buildings in Mazzeh and another on a building in an educational complex located in a residential area of Qudsaya.
Following the strikes, loud explosions were heard throughout the city, and thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the targeted locations. Ambulances and emergency services rushed to the scene to attend to the victims.
International
Drug trafficker dies after boat collision with Guardia Civil Vessel in Sanlúca
Three people were on the boat that collided with a Guardia Civil vessel around midnight at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near the Andalusian city of Cádiz, a spokesperson for the Civil Guard reported.
Two officers sustained “contusions,” the spokesperson explained.
The drug traffickers managed to bring the boat to shore, where one of them was “abandoned” severely injured. The other two fled.
The Civil Guard officers attempted to resuscitate the victim before transporting him to Sanlúcar de Barrameda, but he ultimately died early in the morning.
The other two suspects took advantage of the officers’ absence while they were taking the victim and returned to set their boat on fire.
The collision occurred very close to the site of another accident on September 1, where a drug trafficker died following a Guardia Civil pursuit.
The suspects’ boat traveled “400 meters” before crashing head-on and “at full speed” into the riverbank, where a hundred bundles of hashish were found.
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