Europol and 29 European countries, as well as several private sector food and beverage producers, joined forces in the 2024 edition of Operation OPSON. This annual operation, now in its thirteenth run, is aimed at removing counterfeit food and beverages of substandard quality from the market. Around 22,000 tonnes of food and 850,000 litres of beverages (mostly alcoholic) were seized by law enforcement, customs and food regulatory agencies.

Results of OPSON XIII:

• 11 criminal networks dismantled,
• 104 arrest warrants issued,
• 184 search warrants issued,
• 278 persons reported to the judicial authorities,
• 5821 checks and inspections performed.
• In total, goods valued at more than 91 million euros were withdrawn from the market.

Food fraud, counterfeiting of food and beverages and abuse of geographical indications are an important and serious area of crime that needs to be addressed at the international level. The objective of Operation OPSON is to protect public health and safety and ultimately dismantle the organised criminal networks involved. Europol and all partners involved are fighting on all fronts against this criminal area, which includes activities in both physical and online marketplaces, such as e-commerce platforms, and the entire food supply chain, from raw materials to the final product.

Investigators across Europe noted a continuing trend in fraudsters selling expired food. By infiltrating waste disposal companies, they put into circulation masses of expired food that should be destroyed. After deleting and reprinting expiration dates or printing and attaching new labels, they reintroduce expired products back into the supply chain. In terms of counterfeit and wrongly designated foods, olive oil and wines with protected designation of origin (PDO) are the most affected product types.

The Spanish Guardia Civil, in collaboration with the Italian Carabinieri and Europol, arrested four people and seized around 120,000 cans of tuna and 45,000 litres of oil. The arrested owners of a canning company in La Rioja (Logroño) made canned products with tuna of a lower quality than that indicated on the label, as well as with sunflower oil or pomace oil labelled as olive oil, thus managing to market the products at prices much lower than those of their competitors.

In Spain, the Guardia Civil took action against counterfeiters of products such as oil, ham and cheese. In Valencia, a pickle producer was investigated for selling products unfit for consumption due to the addition of illegal colourants and preservatives. 80 tonnes of product were seized, much of it ready for sale and consumption.

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A new report by Europol and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) warns that fraudsters and organised crime networks mainly use legal entities to avoid detection by authorities and thus take advantage of consumer preferences for low prices, even if they are counterfeit products.

The report ‘Descubriendo el ecosistema de la delincuencia contra la propiedad intelectual: un enfoque a los facilitadores’ (Uncovering the Intellectual Property Crime Ecosystem: A Focus on Enablers) illustrates the sophisticated methods used by fraudsters and organised crime groups to commit intellectual property (IP) crime and exploit consumer behaviour. It highlights the widespread impact of intellectual property crime on society as a whole, driven by counterfeit products and pirated content.

According to the report, approximately 86 million counterfeit goods were seized in the EU in 2022 alone, with an estimated total value exceeding €2,000 million. The study underlines that while consumers are attracted to low-priced consumer goods, their choices fully support a range of other serious crimes, such as cybercrime, money laundering and even environmental crime.

The health and safety of consumers is endangered by the emergence of counterfeit pharmaceuticals from clandestine and dangerous laboratories that expose workers and the public to harmful substances. Moreover, the digital domain has become a battleground, with cybercriminals creating sophisticated fake websites that not only sell counterfeit goods, but also collect consumers’ sensitive payment information, further intertwining IP crime with cybercrime.

Overall, the report highlights the growing sophistication of intellectual property criminals. Organised criminal networks extend across borders and engage in the import, export and production of counterfeit goods, most of which are produced in China, including Hong Kong, and Turkey.

According to the document, the perpetrators of these operations are not amateurs, they use legal structures at all stages of intellectual property crime and select jurisdictions where it is difficult for EU law enforcement to shut them down or where sanctions are low. In many cases, counterfeit products are produced outside the EU and then end up with fake labels, logos and packaging in different parts of Europe.

The conference held last October, entitled ‘Follow the Money to Fight IP Crime’, brought together experts from law enforcement, the private sector, EU agencies, international organisations and the academic world. Its purpose was to share experiences and best practices, and to explore opportunities and challenges in the fight against intellectual property crime.

The conference began with a full day programme covering key topics such as enablers and the consequences of intellectual property crime, financial investigations to combat intellectual property crime, asset recovery related to intellectual property crime, and the impact of intellectual property crime on public health and the environment. The day also included discussions on the United States’ perspective on financial and intellectual property crime. On the second day, the conference programme focused on the role of social media influencers in promoting counterfeit purchases, and strategies to improve the ability of financial investigations to combat intellectual property crime.

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In early October this year, an investigation led by the French Gendarmerie, involving the Italian Carabinieri Corps and the Swiss Federal Police, with the support of Europol and Eurojust, led to the dismantling of a criminal network of counterfeit French Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines in Italy. The criminal network counterfeited French red wine, charging up to €15,000 per bottle. The fake wine was produced in Italy, then delivered via an Italian airport and exported for sale at market value around the world by wine merchants unaware of the alleged scam.

The operation resulted in:

• 6 arrests (one high-value target) and
• 14 house searches in Turin and Milan
• Seizures included: large quantities of counterfeit wine bottles of different Grand Cru domains, wine bottle stickers and different wax products, wine refilling ingredients, technical machines to recover bottles, luxury goods and electronic equipment valued at €1.4 million, more than €100,000 in cash, and various documents of interest.

The modus operandi of the criminal network, combined with the characteristics of the counterfeits, led investigators to establish a link with a previous investigation supported by Europol targeting the counterfeiting of PDO wine. Forensic operations carried out on these high-value objects revealed the techniques used by the criminal network to counterfeit excellent quality French wine.

Connections were also found between the two investigations while investigating the manufacturers of stoppers and capsules and the label printers. This investigation, which had been closed in 2015, involved a Russian national who was also linked to the current investigation. Further enquiries uncovered business transactions conducted between Italy and Switzerland. Other bottles were later discovered with similar signs of counterfeiting.

In 2014, a latent trace was discovered on the back of a label, revealing a connection to an individual already known to the authorities from a previous similar case. The investigation into an international network counterfeiting luxury wines led to the arrest of a Russian individual associated with two winegrowers, both of Italian nationality. However, since 2019, new counterfeits have appeared in Europe, specifically in the Swiss and Italian markets. Investigations showed that the old counterfeit bottles were still being sold alongside new ones with copies of the new security features. Investigation leads and international information exchange via Europol enabled the French Gendarmerie unit handling the case to identify this new distribution route for counterfeit bottles through the identity of the Grand Cru domains.

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Dutch, French and German law enforcement agencies joined forces to arrest criminals who caused millions of euros in damage by blowing up ATMs.

It was in the early hours of 16 October 2024 when police forces from the three countries arrested three members of a violent criminal network that carried out explosive attacks on ATMs. Europol brought together investigators from the three countries to arrest the criminals, who are believedto have looted millions of euros and caused similar amounts of property damage between 2022 and 2024.

As part of a day of police action carried out in several locations in the Netherlands, France and Germany, law enforcement also searched car rental companies whose vehicles had been used to flee crime scenes. This criminal network in particular was one of the first to use locations in France as hideouts and to rely on getaway cars rented from a French rental company. These raids led to the gathering of extensive evidence, thus facilitating broader, more logistical investigations into members.

For several years now, criminals have increasingly been using solid explosives, mainly derived from fireworks, to blow up ATMs. This has significantly increased the danger and collateral damage of their attacks. The criminals, who are often located in the Netherlands, take extreme risks and act unscrupulously, both at the scene of the crime and when escaping in high-powered vehicles. As the attacks are often carried out in residential areas, ATM explosions and subsequent high-speed escapes can cause serious damage to buildings and residents.

To combat this phenomenon, law enforcement agencies in the countries concerned are continuously expanding their cross-border collaboration. For this particular operation, Europol brought together Dutch, French and German investigators to work on intelligence and plan the coordinated day of action. A Europol specialist with a mobile office was sent to the coordination centre to cross-check the operational results against Europol’s databases.

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The Latvian State Police, in collaboration with Europol, has dismantled a large-scale clandestine laboratory involved in the production of synthetic drugs throughout the European Union. The illegal laboratory was a key location for synthetic drug production in Europe, especially due to its recurring appearance in numerous investigations.

Europol worked closely with Latvian partners to identify and monitor the criminal network responsible for the production and distribution of synthetic substances, including synthetic cathinones and other high-risk drugs.

The operation, which concluded with coordinated entries and searches at the beginning of October throughout Latvia, resulted in the arrest of eight individuals suspected of being involved in production. Among the detainees were key figures within the organisation.

Seized materials during the action day:

• Seizures of over a ton of finished synthetic drugs;

• More than 38,000 litres of various chemical liquids, including precursors and base substances, prepared for the production of synthetic drugs;

• Laboratory equipment and various items related to drug production;

• 5 vehicles: 3 cars and 2 lorries;

• Multiple mobile phones, SIM cards, a laptop, and other relevant elements for the investigation.

To support the Latvian authorities, Europol deployed its team prepared to dismantle the tactical laboratory in Aluksne, near the Russian border, and thereby assist in taking down the laboratory. There, Europol provided full operational support to quickly and accurately identify drugs and chemical substances. This rapid identification was essential to obtain crucial evidence.

Dismantling these clandestine drug laboratories is a priority for Europol in its fight against the production and distribution of illicit drugs across Europe. These clandestine facilities represent a significant threat to public safety, not only because of the harmful substances they produce, but also because of the environmental and health risks associated with their illegal operations. Through these laboratories, Europol and its partners aim to disrupt the supply chains of criminal organisations. This effort is a key component of Europol’s wider strategy to combat drug trafficking.

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At the end of September this year, in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, 76 experts from 27 countries came together to monitor, detect, and investigate various clues about Internet-enabled human trafficking activities. Online human trafficking is a growing threat that transcends borders. Although the surface network remains a key tool for human traffickers, the complexity of identifying online exploitation indicators poses significant challenges.

Europol and its partners are using international cooperation and technological expertise to counter these threats, working with the aim of protecting vulnerable people and dismantling criminal networks. This joint action aimed to identify key indicators of human trafficking on online platforms, explore how traffickers can misuse legitimate business structures, and progress with new criminal investigations.

The experts also participated in training workshops where they tackled urgent challenges such as the criminal use of social media platforms for organ trafficking, the use of cryptocurrencies and cryptographic patterns, the identification of trafficking on gaming platforms, and other technical aspects of online investigations into human trafficking.

Some of the results include:

• 252 verified entities (such as platforms, people, usernames, locations, and phone numbers)
• 40 reviewed digital platforms (for sexual and labour exploitation and organ trafficking)
• 16 suspected human traffickers identified
• 60 potential victims of human trafficking identified

During the action days, the investigators focused on gathering insights into how criminals use online ads to recruit victims and facilitate transportation and accommodation. The experts identified a dark web where hundreds of human traffickers offer a wide variety of services, including victims of both genders and all ages. Prices vary between $800 and $2,000 per hour, depending on the age and “skills” of the victims. On the same website, a permanent placement of a child is sold for between $20,000 and $60,000.

The researchers also intended to identify platforms that could facilitate human trafficking and exploitation, based on crime as a service. Their online investigation covered the possible trafficking and exploitation of Ukrainian victims, as well as the use of lesser-known social media platforms to facilitate human trafficking.

The experts have identified a new phenomenon: e-pimping. This emerging trend is of growing interest to attackers. The researchers detected two platforms offering ‘lifestyle courses’ and training for men who want to become OnlyFans managers, essentially instructing them on how to become online pimps and exploit women.

Europol supported the coordination of the operational activities, facilitated the exchange of information and gave analytical support. On the police action day, Europol sent an expert to the coordination centre to facilitate real-time information exchange and cross-check operational information with Europol databases. This provided the participating officers and the police authorities with additional leads on the investigation.

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Last September, Bulgarian authorities, with the support of Europol, dismantled a criminal network smuggling migrants from Turkey through Bulgaria and Serbia to western southern Europe. The investigation, which involved the participation of Greek and Romanian authorities, was carried out within the framework of a regional operational task force set up to investigate migrant smuggling networks using Bulgaria as a smuggling country.

The action day led to:

• 8 arrests (one of them considered a high value target).
• 11 location searches.
• Seizures, which included cash, Hawala accountancy books and various documents of interest.
• The identification, during the searches, of a Romanian national who was wanted by the Austrian authorities.

The investigation started in early 2023 when Bulgarian authorities found migrants being transported by this network. So far, the national authorities have detected 15 incidents of such smuggling. The network allegedly facilitated the illegal secondary movements of more than 700 irregular migrants to other parts of the EU.

The alleged kingpins, mostly Syrian nationals, coordinated the activities while maintaining contacts with smugglers and Hawala users in Turkey and Greece, as well as in other countries along the smuggling route. The suspects enabled the transportation of migrants from the Turkish-Bulgarian border to accommodations in the Sofia region. After a short stay there, they were transported to the Bulgarian-Serbian border.

The migrants had to pay significant amounts before being transferred to the Turkish-Bulgarian border. They paid between 3,000 and 5,000 euros at the Hawala offices in Istanbul and were then smuggled in by guides related to Turkish members of the criminal network. Once on Bulgarian territory, the migrants were picked up by drivers of Bulgarian, Romanian and Syrian nationalities, who transferred them to different accommodations in Sofia. For transportation, the smuggling network used a variety of vehicles such as cars, vans and even trucks.

In one case, the suspects even transported 150 migrants in a truck. Criminals use this modus operandi to maximise their profits when demand for smuggling services is high. In this particular case, the drivers transported the migrants while driving at high speed in order to escape police controls. This dangerous procedure puts the lives of migrants and road users at great risk.

In this operation, a broad operational analysis was carried out to identify the different targets and trace their criminal activities. Europol also brought together the different countries involved to jointly prepare the final phase of the investigation.

Two Europol experts deployed to Sofia as part of the regional operational task force were on the ground during the action day, assisting law enforcement authorities with real-time cross-checks against Europol databases.

Police officers from the Hellenic Police, the Romanian Border Police and the Romanian Police (Service for Combating Organised Crime) were deployed to the site to support the investigation activities.

Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre has been supporting the work of the task force since its creation.

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Europol and Eurojust, together with other police and judicial authorities around the world, have successfully intervened in an encrypted communication platform that was established to facilitate serious and organised crime perpetrated by dangerous criminal networks operating globally. The platform, called Ghost, was used as a tool to carry out a wide range of criminal activities, such as large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, extreme violence cases, and other forms of serious and organised crime.

Ghost had gained strength among criminal organisations thanks to its advanced security features. Users could purchase the tool without providing any personal information. The solution used three encryption standards and offered the option to send a message followed by a specific code that would trigger the self-destruction of all messages on the target phone. This enabled criminal networks to communicate securely, evade detection, counter forensic measures, and coordinate their illegal operations across borders.

Thousands of people around the world used this tool, which had its own infrastructure and applications, and was supported by a network of distributors based in several countries. On a global scale, around a thousand messages were exchanged daily through Ghost.

Since the servers were located in France and Iceland, the company owners were in Australia, and the financial assets were in the United States, a global operation was initiated against this telephone service.

The overturning operation involved a series of coordinated raids and technical interventions. In the course of the investigation, 51 suspects – 38 in Australia, 11 in Ireland, one in Canada, and one in Italy – belonging to the Italian mafia organisation Sacra Corona Unita have been arrested.

Further arrests are expected as the investigation advances.

Moreover, several threats to life were prevented and a drug laboratory in Australia was dismantled, along with weapons, other drugs, and more than one million euros in cash seized worldwide.

To facilitate investigations into illegal activities enabled by this communication platform, an Operational Task Force (OTF) was set up at Europol in March 2022, with participation from police authorities in Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States.

This working group has been instrumental in mapping the global technical infrastructure and has been successful in guiding it by identifying key providers and users of the platform, tracking its criminal usage, and executing the coordinated effort to shut it down, all under the judicial supervision of the JIT (Joint Investigation Team) countries.

On the basis of law enforcement cooperation, a JIT was set up between the French and US authorities in January 2024 with the support of Eurojust and Europol.

This complex and global operation has been possible thanks to the active cooperation between the countries involved and Europol, which have participated in the various components of the investigative activities, including actions against high-risk criminal organisations and high-value targets, cyber investigations, the analysis of cryptocurrency transactions, the frequent exchange of intelligence through Europol’s secure channels, and dozens of operational meetings organised in various countries.

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The German police inspectorate of the Cloppenburg-Vechta region, in conjunction with Europol, is requesting assistance from the public in solving a 28-year-old murder case linked to organised crime.

Despite the extensive investigations carried out over so many years, the identity of the suspects remains unknown, and authorities hope that new information will finally help solve the case.

It is known that a brutal murder occurred in Dümmerlohausen, Germany, on 8 August 1996. The victim was found full of bullets, next to a red vehicle that had been stolen.

The deceased, a man from the former Yugoslavia, was involved in various criminal networks and was known to law enforcement for his participation in several robberies in the north of the country. He is believed to have been staying in an Oldenburg hotel at the time of his murder, where he was presumably hiding.

Although there was a thorough investigation, the identity of the killers has remained a mystery for the past 28 years.

Recent developments in forensic technology,combined with renewed investigative efforts, have allowed the German police to re-examine the case. To expand the scope of the investigation, the German authorities have requested Europol’s support.

The case falls under the remit of Europol’s European Serious Organised Crime Centre, whose mandate has recently been expanded to counter the use of violence by organised crime groups. Europol’s work in this area covers a wide spectrum, from the most recent trends to cases from decades ago.

Authorities are now asking anyone with information, however insignificant it may seem, to come to the police station. The information can also be provided anonymously to the authorities.

The Oldenburg Police Department is offering a reward of 5000 euros for information leading to the resolution of the case and the detention of the perpetrator(s). This reward would be granted according to the Oldenburg Public Prosecutor’s Office.

To promote citizen collaboration, the German authorities have produced a short film with previously undisclosed details about the case, as well as original photographs and excerpts from the investigation files. In this way, potential witnesses or knowledgeable individuals regarding the murder are intended to be reached.

Finally, users can also upload files and images anonymously through the suggestion portal, which allows witnesses to contact the police.

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At the end of August this year, the Bulgarian police authorities arrested eight alleged members of a gang involved in human trafficking in Europe. Four of the suspects detained during the police operation had already been identified as high-value targets who had played leading roles in organised criminal activities. The gang had charged up to €6,000 per person and had smuggled more than 130 people from Turkey to Bulgaria and then to other European destinations via the Western Balkans route.

A total of 15 dwellings in the region of the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv were searched in the operation, with Europol experts and police officers from Romania and Moldova deployed on the ground to support the Bulgarian authorities in their measures.

As a result of these searches, police authorities seized 13 mobile phones, a weapon and ammunition, as well as vehicle documents related to incidents of migrant smuggling in Bulgaria.

This action was carried out within the framework of a regional task force coordinated by Europol, based in Sofia, which focuses on criminal networks trafficking migrants from Turkey to Bulgaria and on to Western Europe.

The smuggling activities resembled the operation of a complex enterprise involving leaders, organisers, and facilitators of various nationalities.

The main leaders were Syrian and Jordanian nationals, who would coordinate criminal activities with other smugglers located in Turkey and along the Western Balkan route. Bulgarian nationals were responsible for logistics, that is, finding and purchasing vehicles used to transport migrants and registering them in the name of other individuals in exchange for a small amount of money. The band would also use drivers from Moldova recruited via the internet.

Since April of that year, 17 incidents related to this gang had been identified, involving migrant trafficking. One of the main leaders was already known to law enforcement, having been investigated in the past for migrant smuggling activities in Austria and Croatia.

Irregular migrants would cross the border between Turkey and Bulgaria on foot, using the guide services offered by organisers in Turkey. After crossing the border, they would be found by Moldovan drivers who would transport them to the Bulgarian-Serbian or Bulgarian-Romanian border.

The drivers received the cars and the GPS coordinates and were sent overnight to pick up the migrants at the agreed-upon locations. Drivers had to communicate with other group members through mobile apps with self-destructing messaging. They received 100 euros per person transported, with an average of between €700 and €1,000 per trip.

The migrants paid around 6,000 euros to be smuggled into Bosnia-Herzegovina and more than 4,000 euros for transportation to Serbia.

Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre has been supporting the work of the task force since its creation. A wide-ranging operational analysis was carried out to identify the various targets and map their criminal activities. Europol also brought together the different countries involved to jointly prepare the final phase of the investigation.

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