Tackling the world of High-Risk Criminal Networks
Summary
In the contemporary world, organised crime is an omnipresent threat posing constant security challenges across the globe, affecting an immeasurable number of victims. As a result of economic globalization and rapid technological advancements, criminal networks are able to expand their reach, deepen their influence and diversify their activities.
Criminology has extensively studied various forms of organised crime, i.e. Transnational Organised Crime Structures, Organised Crime Groups, Gangs, Terrorist Groups, (Poly-) criminal Networks, etc., and how such groups operate and differ from one another. Criminal networks have been the subject of scientific research for decades. The scientific community discussed the taxonomy of criminal networks drawing on certain characteristics, such as the networks’ aspects, as well as specific organisation structures. For example, Sergi (2017) described the interconnection between “mafia-type groups, its poly-dimensional characteristics”. Hobbs (1998); Sergi and Lavorgna (2016) referred to the “global phenomena” characteristics, while the effective, symbolic and subjective powers, as well as their uncovered and hidden attributes have been researched, depending on which specific criminal reality we are dealing with.
The EU Drugs Strategy 2021-2025 and the EU Strategy to tackle Organised Crime 2021-2025 highlight the importance of initiatives and actions disrupting drug trafficking and high-risk criminal organisations. The latest European Union Serious and Organised Crime Assessment (SOCTA) 2021, prepared and published by Europol, underlines that the sophistication of the modus operandi of organised crime active in EU, as well as the capacity to adapt quickly and exploit innovations and technologies for criminal purposes are evolving.
The social and economic impact of organised crime is growing, together with its influence on the legal economy, logistics and public administration, thus raising awareness as a major concern. Criminal networks engage in corruption to reinforce their influence in the spheres of economy and public administration, thus undermining democratic institutions and eroding the rule of law. Furthermore, criminal networks are increasingly involved in various forms of crime, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, firearms and human trafficking, organised property crime, distinct types of fraud including the sale of counterfeit documents and goods, and more. These activities can lead to increased violence and crime rates, particularly in areas where organised crime is prevalent. There might be even links between organised crime and terrorism, which can result in mass casualties and severe damage to the society infrastructure. The EU SOCTA 2021 identifies that high-risk criminal networks operating in the EU are typically characterised by a poly-criminal nature, applying corruption, money laundering, use of firearms along with their criminal activities.
The scientific achievements have been fostering the criminal justice response strategies to the threat, re-feeding the academic research around new crime trends. One of the key EU initiatives in this context is the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), which during its cycle 2022-2025 prioritises the fight against High-Risk Criminal Networks, among other crime areas. EMPACT combines the efforts of all concerned stakeholders dealing with organised crime and fosters the development of a wide range of actions, from law enforcement interventions to prevention and capacity building activities and cooperation with external partners, among others. Echoing the EU SOCTA, the EU Strategic Training Needs Assessment (EU-STNA) 2022-2025 confirmed the need for intensified training efforts in tackling high-risk criminal network, with special emphasis being placed on those using corruption, acts of violence, firearms and money laundering through parallel underground financial systems.
Since scientific research has been helping design the response strategies to these threats, and in order to assess how recent scientific achievements and training may contribute to the success of criminal investigations in the light of operational experience, there is a need to bring together academics, researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and experts from different fields to discuss and share knowledge about the complexities, differentiations, specificities, and characteristics of High-Risk Criminal Networks in their diverse forms, to better act towards their prevention and repression.
Objective
The objective of this conference is to explore the scientific conversations currently looking at trends, challenges, leading practices, and opportunities to disrupt and dismantle High-Risk Criminal Networks, as an EMPACT priority, in order to enhance the quality of the CEPOL training products, including the new Higher Education Master course.
The conference aims to bring together leading experts, academics, researchers, and practitioners from various fields (criminology, sociology, psychology, engineering, informatics, economics, law and political science, etc.). To offer exclusive insights from empirical experience, sessions will include a separate section with journalists, panel discussions of law enforcement professionals, judges, prosecutors, criminology journalists, NGOs and, tentatively, victims of crimes and undercover agents. It also aims to bring together public and private sector representatives (from high-tech companies) and organise an editorial group exhibition.
During the conference, participants will be able to share their insights and experiences, discuss novel approaches and strategies, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
The shared knowledge can strengthen significantly the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary collaboration at political, judicial and law enforcement level against high-risk criminal networks, and enhance the learning strategies for the CEPOL community.
“Environmental crime, HRCN and regulatory crime prevention”
Iina Sahramäki;
Abstracts for papers
Environmental crime is a growing concern internationally. Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme name environmental crime as the fourth largest criminal activity in the world after drug trafficking, human trafficking and counterfeiting (INTERPOL-UN Environment, 2016, 2). As Europol (2024) has addressed, organised crime groups are involved in different forms of environmental crime, activities finance terrorism and is as profitable as drug-trafficking. Further, environmental crime has linkages with corruption. As such, environmental crime is evident part of tackling HRCN. In addition, disrupting criminal networks involved in all forms of environmental crime is one of the EMPACT priorities (Europol, 2024) The presentation summarises the state-of-art academic research in the field of environmental crime and criminal enforcement highlighting linkages between environmental crime and high-risk criminal networks (e.g. Germani and Castaldo, 2024, Williams, 2024, Sollund, 2024, Faure and Lu, 2024, van Uhm, 2024). Further, it discusses the implications of the academic research to practitioners and develops a regulatory crime prevention framework in the context of environmental crime (Sahramäki, 2024).
