The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is monitoring organized criminal groups that are attempting to exploit the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the agency said on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th April, 2020) The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is monitoring organized criminal groups that are attempting to exploit the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the agency said on Thursday.
"Serious and organised crime is exploiting the changing circumstances during the pandemic. From the onset of this crisis, Europol monitored these developments to help Member States understand and tackle these emerging phenomena. The full impact of the pandemic - not only on crime but also more widely on society and the economy - is not yet apparent," Europol's Executive Director Catherine De Bolle said in a press release.
The agency warned that the economic downturn and rising unemployment caused by the COVID-19 outbreak could lead to a rise in organized crime, particularly as groups divert their attention to the counterfeit production of medical goods.
Europol will use the example of the global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 as an example to plan further action, according to the press release.
The agency will also pay specific attention to the issue of migrant smuggling, amid fears of a new wave of illegal movement from Africa to the European Union.
On Tuesday, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson warned that organized crime groups were adapting quickly to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic, and noted that the European Commission is planning to establish new measures to combat criminality as part of a Security Union strategy.
