Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1519042
5 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 APRIL 2024 EU funding for your business Protect your trademarks, patents and designs Save up to €2,500 MINISTRY FOR THE ECONOMY, ENTERPRISE AND STRATEGIC PROJECTS The composition of these criminal networks reflects a diverse mix of nationalities, with Croatian, Georgian, Ital- ian, and Romanian individuals playing pivotal roles. Leaders and scouts within these net- works are instrumental in or- chestrating criminal activities, exploiting vulnerabilities, and expanding criminal influence within Malta and beyond. In addition to traditional property crimes, these net- works engage in human traf- ficking and drug distribution, perpetuating cycles of ex- ploitation and victimisation. Apart from the group leaders, scouters play a critical role in identifying targets, coordinat- ing operations, and evading law enforcement detection. How Europol mapped out the crime groups The report, titled Decoding The EU's Most Threatening Criminal Networks, is the first of its kind to map the charac- teristics that make criminal ac- tors particularly threatening. After identifying the most threatening criminal networks, the groups' characteristics were outlined and assessed. Then, Europol was able to de- termine the key traits that al- low these networks to thrive, namely agility, borderless, con- trolling, and destructive. Europe's most threatening criminal networks were found to be remarkably agile, us- ing legal business structures to facilitate or conceal their criminal activity. In fact, 86% of these networks make use of legal business structures (LBS), either by infiltrating business- es at a high level or by setting up their own. The sectors most vulnerable to infiltration by or- ganised crime were identified as construction, hospitality and logistics. These networks also run bor- derless criminal operations and have been able to extend beyond the EU. There are 112 nationalities represented among the members of the 821 criminal networks identified, and only 32% of networks have members from only one coun- try. The networks can exert strong control and focus over their operations, with the leadership of 82% of the most threaten- ing criminal networks settled either in the main country of activity or the country of origin of the key members. Only 6% of the most threatening networks have a leadership coordinating operations from outside the EU. Most dangerously, these net- works inflict significant dam- age on the EU's internal secu- rity, rule of law, and economy. Their activities directly impact EU citizens' lives, for example through increased drug-relat- ed violence, or turf wars on the streets of EU cities. According to Europol, 71% of these networks engage in corruption to facilitate crimi- nal activity or obstruct law en- forcement or judicial proceed- ings. Moreover, 68% of networks use violence and intimidation as an inherent feature of their modus operandi. Italian, Georgian criminal networks operating in Malta Europol mapped the characteristics that make criminal actors particularly threatening