Europol predicts street violence like in Latin America
The Hague - Europol Director Catherine De Bolle speaks to the Welt am Sonntag of a "level of violence on the European streets that we have never seen before. So far we only knew it from Latin America ." De Bolle described the decryption by investigators of the EnchroChat application used by criminals as a major blow to organized crime.
As a result, completely new knowledge was gained about how organized crime threatens security in Europe, the rule of law and democracy. De Bolle said: "Our conclusion is: We underestimated the danger." Drug trafficking continues to play a major role for criminals.
Cartels have recognized that it is worthwhile to produce certain drugs in Europe. "For example, we discovered synthetic drugs from the Netherlands on the Brazilian market, which surprised us a lot," said De Bolle. Of the around 2,000 tons of cocaine produced annually in the Andes region, 60 percent are now destined for the European market.
In the past, most of the production was intended for the US market. In addition to violence and drugs, the extent of corruption was also underestimated. More than half of the criminal organizations use corruption, for example to persuade dockworkers to cooperate in drug smuggling.
There are also very specific threats. "Criminals take pictures of the target's wives and children to pressure them into cooperation." 80 percent of criminal organizations would set up legal businesses alongside the illegal businesses in order to launder their money. "Illegal business is infiltrating our economy and destabilizing the system," De Bolle warned.
Source: Der Newsticker
Photo: Picture Alliance/DPA/Zapata.
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