EU-SOCTA 2025: Europol's report on the new threats of organized crime in Europe

Translated by Federico Emanuele

Organized crime in Europe is evolving at an unprecedented pace, leveraging technological innovation, globalization, and economic-political vulnerabilities. These factors allow criminal groups to expand rapidly and refine their strategies, adopting increasingly advanced methods that are difficult to counter. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (EUROPOL) has recently published the EU-SOCTA 2025 report (Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment), which analyzes current and future threats to EU security, providing strategic guidance for law enforcement and policymakers.

The report identifies three key characteristics that define the current landscape of serious and organized crime. First, crime does not only threaten public security but also undermines the very foundations of institutions and society through money laundering, corruption, and violence. Second, almost all forms of crime now have a strong digital footprint, both as a tool and as a target. Third, artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming the crime landscape, enabling criminal organizations to rapidly adapt and fully exploit new technologies.

Organized crime and the destabilization of society

One of the most concerning trends highlighted in the report is the increasing power of criminal networks in disrupting social balance. This growing threat jeopardizes the stability of the European Union by acting as an underground economic system that erodes trust in institutions. Through corruption and money laundering, criminal networks strengthen themselves, infiltrating the legal economy and making it harder for authorities to take action.

Even more alarming is their collaboration with hybrid threat actors, including state or para-state groups that exploit criminals for cyber-attacks, disinformation, and sabotage. Some complicit states provide protection to criminal groups in exchange for illicit services, outsourcing operations to avoid direct responsibility. In particular, ransomware attacks and the sabotage of critical infrastructure are becoming key tools for undermining EU security and social cohesion. These strategies often follow the "woodpecker modus operandi," meaning a progressive destabilization through repeated and targeted attacks.

The digital evolution amplifies these threats, facilitating criminal recruitment and the planning of illicit operations online. The line between state actors and criminal networks is becoming increasingly blurred, making organized crime an instrument of political and economic destabilization.

Crime in the digital age: cybercrime and online fraud

Organized crime has found a new ideal environment for expanding its activities in the digital world. Today, cybercrime represents one of the greatest threats to European security, with increasingly sophisticated attacks targeting businesses, institutions, and citizens. Among the most widespread techniques, ransomware has become a preferred tool for criminal groups: these attacks lock victims’ data, demanding a ransom in cryptocurrency for its restoration.

Online fraud is constantly increasing, ranging from investment scams to business email compromise and identity theft. The use of deepfake technology and artificial intelligence enables the creation of fake documents and impersonation of real people, making threats even more insidious. On the dark web, criminals have access to platforms for selling stolen data, drugs, weapons, and hacking services for hire. Advanced encryption and anonymous communications further complicate law enforcement efforts, requiring constant updates to their strategies to counter this ever-evolving phenomenon.

The connection between drug trafficking, weapons, and human trafficking

Drug trafficking remains a fundamental pillar of organized crime in Europe, with the cocaine market continuously expanding and a growing production of synthetic drugs in clandestine laboratories. This trend reduces dependence on foreign producers, lowers logistical costs, and increases profits. New psychoactive substances, which are difficult to regulate, evade control systems and spread rapidly.

At the same time, the illegal arms trade is also on the rise, fueling urban violence and conflicts between criminal gangs. The proliferation of illicit weapons contributes to making cities less safe, intertwining with other illicit activities such as drug trafficking and human trafficking. Criminal organizations exploit social vulnerabilities to control human trafficking, taking advantage of migration flows to fuel forced labor and sexual exploitation. Digital platforms facilitate victim recruitment, payments, and logistics, ensuring anonymity and secure operations.

Migrant smuggling is becoming increasingly profitable, supported by sophisticated routes and corruption within public institutions. In some cases, these networks collaborate with geopolitical actors to destabilize the EU, turning migration flows into instruments of political pressure, making this phenomenon even harder to counter.

The European Union’s response to organized crime

Faced with these threats, the European Union is strengthening its strategy to combat organized crime. Europol and the EMPACT platform (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) are enhancing cooperation among member states, developing advanced technological tools to fight crime.

The EU is investing in cutting-edge intelligence tools to anticipate the evolution of organized crime, leveraging artificial intelligence and big data analysis to detect suspicious activities. Europol is also consolidating its role as a center of excellence for security, with specialized teams in critical areas such as cybercrime, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Another key pillar of the European strategy is victim protection. The EU’s goal is not only to dismantle criminal networks but also to support those affected, through assistance and protection programs. This approach is crucial to breaking cycles of exploitation and strengthening trust between citizens and law enforcement.

To counter the transnational nature of organized crime, the EU is expanding cooperation with non-European countries, intensifying the fight against drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and human trafficking. Stricter regulations are also being introduced to block illicit financial flows and prevent criminal organizations from exploiting the European economic system. The EU is determined to combat organized crime with increasingly sophisticated and integrated strategies. The key to success will be technological innovation, international cooperation, and the strengthening of internal security to ensure a safer Europe for all.

An unprecedented challenge

The EU-SOCTA 2025 report presents a concerning yet necessary analysis, as organized crime is no longer an isolated phenomenon but a complex ecosystem that exploits society’s vulnerabilities and the opportunities offered by technology. The European Union faces an unprecedented challenge, requiring an integrated, innovative, and coordinated approach between law enforcement, institutions, and the private sector. The security of European citizens will depend on the ability to adapt to these new threats and develop effective tools to counter them. Only through a collective and determined response will it be possible to limit the expansion of organized crime and protect the foundations of European society.

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