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Organised crime poses evolving threats in Europe

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Significance

Combined with ongoing trends (such as digitalisation), existing problems (such as institutional corruption and drug trafficking) and new policy directions (including the green transition), lockdown measures and post-pandemic recovery strategies are accelerating illicit market linkage and change. The continent is facing significant and unprecedented challenges.

Impacts

  • Successful takedowns in a context of ad hoc crime structures will drive illicit market diversification, innovation and violence.
  • European restrictions on raw plant materials from elsewhere will spur manufacture of synthetic drugs and local cannabis cultivation.
  • London will maintain ties with Europol but loose access to the Schengen Information System will complicate law enforcement cooperation.

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