Europol has warned that organised crime gangs are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to scale up scams and payment systems, making their operations more global, cost-efficient, and difficult to detect.
According to the report, these advancements enable criminal networks to craft multilingual messages and generate highly realistic impersonations to defraud and blackmail targets in global cyberfraud operations. Europol also highlighted a disturbing trend in which generative AI is being misused to produce child sexual abuse material.
“The very DNA of organised crime is changing,” said Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s executive director. “Criminal networks have evolved into global, technology-driven enterprises, exploiting digital platforms, illicit financial flows, and geopolitical instability to expand their influence.”
The report cautioned that the emergence of fully autonomous AI systems—capable of planning and executing tasks without human oversight—could usher in an era of entirely AI-controlled criminal networks, marking a significant escalation in organised crime.
Europol’s findings come on the heels of recent law enforcement actions, including the arrest of two dozen individuals for distributing AI-generated child abuse images in late February, and the dismantling of MATRIX, an encrypted messaging service used in international drug and arms trafficking, in early December. The agency also identified cyber attacks, migrant smuggling, drug and firearms trafficking, and waste management wrongdoing as some of the fastest growing criminal threats on the continent.
As AI technology continues to evolve, Europol’s warning underscores the urgent need for global cooperation and robust legislative frameworks to counter the mounting risks posed by AI-enabled criminal activities.
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Welcome to our live coverage as the conflict involving Iran enters its 11th day. Tensions in the region remain high as the United States and Iran exchange increasingly sharp warnings over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, has addressed the U.N. Security Council, saying the world must consider how effective its engagement with the Taliban-run country is as millions face hunger.
British MPs have rejected a proposal to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s, opting instead to give ministers flexible powers to impose restrictions on platforms.
Australia has granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women footballers who sought asylum, fearing persecution after refusing to sing their national anthem at an Asia Cup match.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 10th of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump called his recent phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very good.” The two leaders spoke on Monday about the situation in Iran and other international issues.
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