European Police Agency Raises Concerns About Children Being Recruited by Organized Crime Networks
According to Europol, criminal networks are manipulating minors to participate in illegal activities by camouflaging them as games or challenges, concealing the true nature of these crimes.
Europol recently issued an intelligence notification alerting about the potential recruitment of children by criminal organizations throughout Europe.
Europol highlighted the exploitation of encrypted messaging in social media platforms by criminals to operate covertly, making it harder for authorities to detect their activities.
The agency accentuated that criminal recruiters often mirror the communication styles of social media influencers to lure in minors, presenting criminal tasks as challenges or missions, a strategy known as gamification.
Desensitizing Children to Risks
Europol pointed out that by framing criminal activities as games or competitions, criminal networks desensitize minors to the risks involved and encourage their participation without fully disclosing the true nature of these crimes.
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During an online conference on Nov. 9, it was revealed that organized crime groups in Europe, linked to the Iranian regime, were employing youths for criminal activities.
Matthew Levitt, from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, highlighted the trend of utilizing criminal gangs, especially from Eastern Europe, to recruit young individuals for illegal tasks.
One case from Sweden involved youths hired to throw grenades at the Israeli Embassy by criminals hired by Iran.
Furthermore, on May 30, the Swedish security agency SAPO accused Iran of using criminal networks in Sweden to target Israeli interests in Denmark.
Europol emphasized the growing trend of minors being recruited into serious crimes and terrorism to evade law enforcement.
These recruitment tactics have expanded across multiple countries in recent years, with minors being involved in violent activities such as extortion and killings.
Notably, criminals often glamorize drug dealing on social media, offering significant financial rewards to minors for criminal tasks.
Last month in Marseille, a 14-year-old boy was paid 50,000 euros to kill a taxi driver, showcasing the dangerous levels of criminal involvement among young individuals.
Hiring Killers Online
These criminal networks use specialized language, including slang and symbols, to communicate with minors, making it harder for outsiders to understand their illicit activities.
Terms like emojis and coded phrases are commonly used to communicate with minors, with symbols like snowflakes representing cocaine and trees symbolizing marijuana.
Europol also mentioned the use of video games to teach violent techniques, with recruiters incentivizing minors to complete tasks, making criminal involvement seem appealing.
A Police officer from the BST 14 Brigade, specializing in drug trafficking, stands next to a barricade at the entrance of Les Rosiers housing project in the northern districts of Marseille, France, on Dec. 1, 2023. Nicolas Tucat / AFP via Getty Images
According to Europol, recent data suggests that minors are involved in a wide range of criminal activities, with street drug dealing being particularly prevalent.
The agency stressed that criminal networks often employ minors for various roles in drug operations, exposing them to significant risks and keeping them under the radar of law enforcement by moving them across regions.
