opinionHigh-tech crimes, such as document fraud, money laundering and online trading in illegal goods, are at the root of almost all serious criminality, Europe's police agency said on Thursday. “These cross-cutting criminal threats enable and facilitate most, if not all, other types of serious and organised crime,” such as drugs and people trafficking, Europol said in a study of organised crime that it publishes every four years. So-called “ransomware”, which blocks a person or company's computer until a fee is paid to unlock it, has become a major concern. Europol says there are some 5,000 international crime groups under investigation, with members from more than 180 nationalities. Drug trafficking remained the largest criminal market in the European Union, generating some 24 billion euros ($25 billion) of profit per year.

Source: Sunday Times March 09, 2017 14:25 UTC