US EditionEuropol task force nets 280 arrests as ‘violence for hire’ spreads across Europe
Europol said the task force identified more than 1,400 linked people as criminals used social media and messaging apps to hire attackers.
- On Wednesday, Europol reported 280 arrests in the first year of an international task force combating "violence as a service," where criminals hire people via social media for assaults and murders.
- Formed last year, the task force includes police from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, identifying more than 1,400 individuals linked to this criminal gig economy.
- Among those arrested were a Dutch national accused of driving for minors involved in explosions in Germany, and a minor apprehended in Sweden for alleged involvement in a shooting outside a prison in Alphen.
- Europol also publicized details of three men wanted for alleged roles in these networks, including murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering, on their European most-wanted site.
- Violence is increasingly offered as a service, accessible, scalable, and driven by online ecosystems that enable recruitment, coordination, and execution across borders, moving away from isolated acts or local dynamics.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Associated Press News
Europol task force nets 280 arrests as 'violence for hire' spreads across Europe
European Union police agency Europol says that an international task force formed to crack down on violence as a criminal service has led to 280 arrests in its first year.
The arrests are the first result of a Europol task force established last year. With this, the police service aims to dismantle recruitment networks in which young people are often hired to commit crimes.
According to Europol, crimes are increasingly being organised via social media and carried out by minors. Hundreds of suspects have already been arrested. A German citizen is among the most sought-after perpetrators.
Over the past year, 280 people have been arrested in Europe as part of an international operation against child recruitment by online gangs, Swedish police and Europol announced Wednesday. The Swedish government became the first in the EU to announce penalties for technology companies failing to respond to online gang advertisements. The operation, led by Swedish police, is part of the Europol article: 280 arrested in connection with online gang…
Europol task force arrests 280 criminals in its first year
An international task force established to address violence as a criminal service has successfully conducted 280 arrests in its inaugural year, according to the European Union’s police agency, Europol. These arrests signal a concerning trend across Europe, where criminals are increasingly engaging individuals—many of whom are young—through social media and messaging applications to execute acts of violence, which range from assaults to homicides…
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