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According to her, although it is too early to draw definitive conclusions on the impact of COVID-19 on crime, it is clear that organized crime activities are rapidly changing across Europe.
Cybercrime and child exploitation on the Internet are on the rise
“Cybercriminals have taken advantage of the current situation very quickly, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is more visible here and the largest compared to other branches of crime,” T. Schotte said at a conference organized by the police. Lithuanian on Friday.
According to her, during the pandemic, the number of various malware and data theft installations increased significantly, but not only their number, but also the level of complexity and intelligence.
Cybercrime continues to be perpetrated by groups that have been involved in the past, but the number of criminals taking their first steps in this area is also increasing. According to a Europol representative, many people and groups who have committed other crimes in the past are trying to take advantage of the situation and switch to cyber crime. It is true, according to her, it is gratifying that criminals do not have the necessary experience and, therefore, it is easier to stop them.
Furthermore, according to Schotte, there is an increase in cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, such as an attack on a hospital in the Czech Republic, where the activities of a medical institution have long been disrupted due to criminal actions.
She believes that the scale of cyber threats will only increase in the near future as criminals in this field adapt extremely dynamically to a changing environment, and more people, companies and authorities are now using a variety of digital solutions in their daily activities than ever before.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Europol also sees an increase in child abuse crimes. The number of attempts to access already banned pages is increasing, and institutions have to block more and more new ones.
According to T. Schotte, there is an increase in conversations between people sharing child pornography, and there are also significantly more reports of people bullying children online.
A Europol spokesperson called on law enforcement to play an active role in prevention and promised to send a detailed report to all EU countries in the second week of June, examining in detail the threats to children online and the situation of child exploitation on the continent.
Counterfeit and stolen medical items
According to Schotte, with the spread of the coronavirus in Europe, the number of cases of trafficking of various counterfeit products is increasing in all countries. These are typically various health products and personal protective equipment, coronavirus testing, face shields, and other items.
According to her, it is clear that this area of crime is closely related to the coronavirus, since the countries where the pandemic began to spread earlier and suffered the first and largest attacks of such crimes.
It is true that smuggling routes, production methods and other aspects of the trade in counterfeit products have not changed, only the products themselves have changed.
Furthermore, although thefts from individuals decreased, thefts from companies and medical institutions increased. In several countries, security thefts have been reported when trucks carrying them from airports have been hijacked. According to Schotte, there is little doubt that these crimes are committed by international criminal groups, as the stolen goods cross the borders of more than one state.
The criminogenic situation may worsen
Regarding the recommendations to European police agencies, a Europol representative emphasized the importance of international cooperation and said that “strong criminal organizations remain strong after any crisis.”
“We believe that sharing information is extremely important. If we get the information, we can connect the dots and see clearly how organized international criminal groups work, ”he said.
Schotte also recalled that in 2010, after the global economic crisis, there was a clear increase in the number of economic and financial crimes, human trafficking and growing corruption.
She believes that if the economic recession continues this time, drastic changes in the criminogenic situation can be expected and should be prepared now.
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