Europol: Organized crime 'one of the greatest threats'
The threat from Organized Crime in Europe is growing dramatically, as Europol chief warns. Our societies are being poisoned, and de Bolle warns: "If we don't invest anymore, we will lose this fight."
The chief of the European Police Office (Europol), Catherine de Bolle, warns of the growing danger of Organized Crime in Europe. The readiness for violence of criminal networks is also becoming an increasing problem in Germany, said de Bolle to "Spiegel". "The numbers that are being reported to us show that clearly", so de Bolle. "Organized Crime is on the march. It uses every weakness."
The violence is mainly fueled by the booming drug trade. In South and Central America, so much cocaine is produced as never before, flooding the European market. "The situation is dramatic." The trade in other substances is also increasing.
The money earned with drugs in Europe remains largely on the continent, is invested in the local economy and "poisons our societies at their doorstep", de Bolle further stated. "Organized Crime is one of the greatest dangers of our time. I can't stress that enough." The police need technical means, powers, and personnel to have a chance in the fight against the mafia, so de Bolle. "If we don't invest anymore, we will lose this fight."
Recently, the police had freed two persons from the drug scene from a Cologne apartment building. They were allegedly abducted and tortured by a Moroccan-linked Mafia group from the Netherlands. De Bolle could not comment on ongoing investigations regarding this case. But it is known that Dutch groups are actively operating across borders.
Europol's chief, Catherine de Bolle, has highlighted the International aspect of Organized Crime, stating that it poses a significant threat to Europe. She specifically mentioned the role of Organized Crime in Cologne, where two individuals were reportedly victimized by a Mafia group with connections to the Netherlands. The police are actively combating this transnational crime, but de Bolle emphasizes the need for additional resources to effectively tackle this ongoing problem of Organized Crime and its involvement in the drug trade.
