Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Crime is morphing away from traditional methods to more sophisticated technological approaches. A decline of traditional hierarchical criminal groups and networks will be accompanied by the expansion of a virtual criminal underground made up of individual criminal entrepreneurs. At the same time, forward-looking agencies are equipping themselves with smart technologies to outfox the criminals. Keep up to date with crime changes below.

• [New] Terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan were acting as proxies against Pakistan and its economic interests, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, posing a threat to regional and global security. The Express Tribune
• [New] Revolut must manage remittances in Mexico very carefully in part because of the risk posed by illicit profits from organized criminal organizations that often flow from drug cartel operations in the United States. MarketScreener
• [New] A surge of confidence by supporters of the Islamic State terror group - reflected in a series of online threats against Europe combined with its deadly attack on a concert hall in Russia - is giving security officials in the United States cause for concern. Counter Extremism Project
• [New] With conflict in the Middle East and Russia's invasion of Ukraine combined with the threat of terror attacks, the French government has raised the security level to its highest level. Sky News
• [New] Fraud, including financial crimes related to the use of counterfeit U.S. passport cards, is the largest source of illicit proceeds in the United States and represents one of the most significant money laundering threats to the United States. AML Intelligence
• [New] The involvement of proxy groups supported by both Iran and Israel poses a considerable risk of proxy warfare and terrorism. SpecialEurasia
• [New] Iran funds, trains, and arms terror proxies across the Middle East and beyond, adding that the Islamic republic does not just threaten the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, but fuels the war in Ukraine and beyond. Al Jazeera
• [New] In 2024, cybersecurity continues a shift from a mere technological concern to a critical business issue thanks to global conflicts, major elections (including that of the White House), looming terrorist threats, and other developments. Blog | TechMagic
• [New] The Netherlands lost a case about delivering F-35 fighter planes that would operate in Gaza, because of the risk of them being used in war crimes. Al Jazeera
• Although the threat from terrorism in Switzerland is generally low, there is still a risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by tourists and expatriates. Ireland.ie
• The IDF could lure Hamas into a false sense of security and pull off a Shifa Hospital-style clean-up operation, just as soon as the terrorist group concentrates too many of its forces in one place. The Jerusalem Post
• The NATO alliance provides Greece with a crucial framework for defence cooperation, enabling it to effectively address common security threats, including terrorism, cyber-attacks, and regional instability. GreekReporter.com
• The use of artificial intelligence is not contrary to international law, but the way Israel is using it could amount to a war crime. Le Monde.fr
• In 2024's Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, terrorism shows up on page 38 out of 40, behind problems such as fentanyl, money laundering, cyber crime and human trafficking. BizNews.com
• The Israeli military's reported use of an untested and undisclosed artificial intelligence-powered database to identify targets for its bombing campaign in Gaza has alarmed human rights and technology experts who said it could amount to war crimes. Al Jazeera
• The Israeli military has rejected the claims in the +972 Magazine report, issuing a statement saying it does not use an artificial intelligence system that identifies terrorist operatives or tries to predict whether a person is a terrorist. The National
• Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to cease work immediately over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza. Sky News
• Collaborative efforts among regional and international actors can pave the way for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, contributing to regional stability and countering the global threat of terrorism. The Diplomat
• The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology recognizes the increasing threat of cyber crime as Namibians rely more on technology. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Though increased strike precision and reduced resource commitments are attractive, the resulting U.S. counterterrorism approach replaces a strategic aim of defeating al Qaeda and the Islamic State with one that instead manages the terrorist threat they pose - a future problem for the United States. Critical Threats
• As the scale of death, destruction and human suffering escalated, concerns hardened into warnings that Israel risked committing war crimes, including from key allies. The Guardian
• A worrying 2023 report previously warned that hate crimes will likely increase during the 2024 presidential race for the White House as groups including neo-Nazis attempt to wage war on democracy. PinkNews
• In October Israel launched a justified war of self-defence against Hamas, whose terrorists had committed atrocities that threaten the idea of Israel as a land where Jews are safe. The Economist

Last updated: 20 April 2024