June 24 (Reuters) – The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled measures to enable Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, to respond more quickly and effectively to cross-border and increasingly digital crime. • Europol warned last year that organised crime gangs were turning to AI-powered scams to target victims. Tackling smuggling gangs that illegally move migrants […]
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EU moves to strengthen Europol against rising digital, cross-border crime
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June 24 (Reuters) – The European Commission on Wednesday unveiled measures to enable Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency, to respond more quickly and effectively to cross-border and increasingly digital crime.
• Europol warned last year that organised crime gangs were turning to AI-powered scams to target victims. Tackling smuggling gangs that illegally move migrants across Europe remains a priority for many governments.
• The Commission said Europol will build a sovereign cloud infrastructure and create a shared data space to allow investigators to collaborate more easily on joint cases.
• The agency will also establish support offices in EU countries, staffed by officers with prior Europol experience, the Commission said.
• Europol will deepen cooperation with international partners and improve coordination with Eurojust, the EU’s judicial cooperation body.
• “Criminals are highly adept at exploiting the opportunities of the digital realm, operating effectively across borders without limitations,” EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said.
• “We are strengthening both Europol and Eurojust so that Europe can respond faster… share information more effectively, and bring criminals to justice more efficiently,” she added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-GuptaEditing by Ros Russell)