International
Europol identifies 821 “threatening” criminal networks in the EU, many active in Spain
The Europol agency has identified 821 “very threatening” organized crime networks in the European Union, many of them active in Spain among other countries, in a report published this Friday, the first that analyzes in depth the details that make these organizations so dangerous.
The study, presented in Brussels, is based on the data provided by EU Member States and other countries and is a “step” to understand how these networks work and what their basic capabilities are, Europol said.
In Spain they operate networks integrated by nationals of Eastern countries, as well as Belgian-Dutch, Baltic, Romanian or Polish, among others.
“Each of the 821 most threatening criminal networks identified is unique. They vary significantly in terms of composition, structure, criminal activity, territorial control, duration over time, types of cooperation and a variety of other dimensions,” the document says.
However, there are some common characteristics that make them especially “threatening,” starting with their infiltration into the legal system, which make a network “omnipresent and destructive.”
In fact, more than 80% of active criminal networks in the EU misuse legal business structures (LBS) for their criminal activities.
The data show that these structures are infiltrated or used by criminal networks “in almost all sectors, including tourism, recycling, welfare and sports associations, as well as in retail and cultural activities.”
Three sectors are particularly affected by infiltration or criminal abuse: construction, hospitality and logistics, that is, transport and import and export companies.
Another characteristic of the most dangerous organizations is their “agility” to “infiltrate extensively” and the application of strategies that allow them to endure over time.
In addition, “they have no borders”, their scope is international as well as the members that make them up, although they often limit their criminal activity to a region or a limited number of countries.
About how they are directed, Europol explains that although there is usually a strong leadership close to operations, it is also possible to maintain control remotely.
They tend to specialize in a main business and operate with a wide degree of independence.
As for their activity, half of these organizations are involved in drug trafficking as their main business, although they are also dedicated to fraud, property-related crimes, migrant and human trafficking.
Money laundering is mainly done through the real estate sector (this is the case in 41% of cases).
Other common money laundering techniques include investments in high-value goods such as gold and luxury goods (27%), the use of cash-intensive businesses, for example in the hotel sector (20%) and the use of cryptocurrencies (10%).
As an example, the report cites the case of an Italian businessman of Argentine origin based in Marbella who uses his companies to hide both drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
Among those he directs is one that imports bananas from Ecuador to the EU and also has sports centers in Marbella, shopping centers in Granada and multiple bars and restaurants.
An Albanian accomplice of his, based in Ecuador, is in charge of the import of cocaine from Colombia to Ecuador and its subsequent distribution to the EU.
According to Europol, Ecuadorian fruit companies are used as a facade for these criminal activities.
Although not all networks use violence and corruption, doing so increases their level of threat.
There are other elements to better understand how they work but that do not necessarily make them more dangerous, starting with their structure.
Most are organized in a hierarchical way, and although strong leadership is important, it is not necessarily linked to specific individuals and in some cases it is replaceable (by inheritance, delegation or reorganization) and continues even after the sentence.
As for the nationalities of the members, the report points to the existing “great variety” and emphasizes that, in addition to the common criminal objective, “criminal networks are formed and persist due to a strong social cohesion,” something that also serves to attract young people.
When fighting them, Europol indicates, “not only the main criminal activities, but also the support and subsidiary activities that allow and support the networks and allow them to last long periods,” as well as the need for “international and interregional cooperation” must be examined.
International
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Monday requested that the Supreme Court restore his freedom while he appeals the historic 12-year house arrest sentence he received for bribery and procedural fraud.
Uribe, the most prominent figure of Colombia’s right wing, was convicted last week by a lower court for attempting to bribe paramilitary members into denying his ties to the violent anti-guerrilla squads.
Since Friday, the 73-year-old has been under house arrest at his residence in Rionegro, about 30 km from Medellín. The judge justified the measure by citing a risk of flight.
However, Uribe’s defense team rejected that argument and formally petitioned the court to immediately lift the detention order, claiming it lacks legal basis.
Uribe, a dominant force in Colombian politics for decades, is now the first former president in the country’s history to be convicted and placed under arrest, found guilty of witness tampering and obstruction of justice to prevent links to paramilitary groups.
He has repeatedly denounced the trial as politically motivated, blaming pressure from the leftist government currently in power.
His political party, Centro Democrático, has called for nationwide protests on August 7 in support of Uribe, who remains popular for his hardline stance against guerrilla groups.
Uribe has until August 13 to submit his written appeal. The case will then move to the Bogotá High Court, which has until October 16 to uphold, overturn, or dismiss the sentence. If the deadline passes without a decision, the case will be archived.
International
U.S. Embassy staff restricted as gunfire erupts near compound in Port-au-Prince
The poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean is currently engulfed in a deep political crisis and a wave of violence driven by armed groups — a situation that an international security mission led by Kenya is attempting to stabilize.
Due to the worsening security conditions, the U.S. government has suspended all official movements of embassy personnel outside the compound in Port-au-Prince, the U.S. State Department announced Monday in a security alert posted on social media platform X.
“There are intense gunfights in the Tabarre neighborhood, near the U.S. Embassy,” the alert reads, urging the public to avoid the area.
Tabarre is a municipality located near Port-au-Prince International Airport, northeast of the Haitian capital.
According to a July report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3,141 people were killed in Haitibetween January 1 and June 30 of this year.
International
Israel says 136 food aid boxes airdropped into Gaza by six nations
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that 136 boxes of food aid were airdropped into Gaza by the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, and Belgium.
“In recent hours, six countries conducted air drops of 136 aid packages containing food for residents in the southern and northern Gaza Strip,” read the statement, which added that the operation was coordinated by COGAT, the Israeli defense body overseeing civil affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Israeli military emphasized that they will “continue working to improve the humanitarian response alongside the international community” and reiterated their stance to “refute false allegations of deliberate famine in Gaza.”
The announcement comes as UN agencies warn Gaza faces an imminent risk of famine. More than one in three residents go days without eating, and other nutrition indicators have dropped to their worst levels since the conflict began.
The agencies also noted the difficulty of “collecting reliable data in current conditions, as Gaza’s health systems —already devastated by nearly three years of conflict— are collapsing.”
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported on Sunday that hospitals in the enclave recorded six deaths from hunger and malnutrition on Saturday, all of them adults.
Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction
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Uribe requests freedom amid appeal of historic bribery conviction