Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

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] The Gulf of Guinea faces evolving threats: piracy has declined, but proxy conflicts and grey zone crime now fuel instability and undermine sovereignty. Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
• [New] Ensuring the ACIC can more effectively share intelligence with partners will put law enforcement another step ahead of organised crime. Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs Website
• [New] Legislation introduced to parliament will ensure the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission has the intelligence-focused functions and capabilities it needs to respond to a threat environment that is increasingly complex, borderless and digitally enabled. Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs Website
• [New] Australia needs a dedicated national criminal intelligence agency to counter the growing threat posed by serious and organised crime. Ministers for the Department of Home Affairs Website
• [New] The U.S Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday urged all American citizens to leave Iraq immediately citing the danger that Iran-aligned Iraqi terrorist militias may intend to carry out attacks in central Baghdad within the next 24 to 48 hours. Counter Extremism Project
• [New] The UAE's statement emphasized the need for a comprehensive and sustained approach that addresses Iran's full range of threats, including its nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles, drones, military capabilities, and affiliated proxies and terrorist groups. Insurance Journal
• [New] The terrorism threat to Singapore remains high, driven by ongoing conflicts elsewhere. ST
• [New] The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran is amplifying terrorism risks across Europe and adjacent theaters like Turkey, characterized by state-linked retaliation tactics, proxy actors, and self-radicalized individuals. The Soufan Center
• [New] Brazil and the US have signed a cooperation deal to expand joint efforts on cross border crime, illustrating the Brazilian Executive will to position Lula's administration in transnational security issues. FTI Strategic Communications
• [New] The greatest fear is that someone could use a drone in a terrorist attack that could be just as deadly as the drone attacks that have become common on the battlefields of the Ukraine and Iran wars. Las Vegas Sun
• [New] Within the Western Hemisphere, cartels, armed rebel groups, and other criminal networks smuggle drugs, traffic weapons and people, profit from illegal extraction of raw materials like gold, and launder money for nefarious actors - all direct threats to the United States. George W. Bush Presidential Center
• [New] The Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental organization that investigates suspected money laundering operations, places Ecuador at a medium-high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. Stanford Social Innovation Review
• [New] Economic crime will continue to evolve alongside technology, geopolitics and global financial systems. Clue
• [New] Privacy experts say that creating a mandatory, uniform regime for police and CSIS to plug into systems to get your data puts your information at higher risk of theft by nefarious actors. Canadian Constitution Foundation
• [New] The ongoing war in Iran is a disruptive threat multiplier for Europe's current terrorism landscape. The Soufan Center
• [New] AT&T published a blog that speculates that the magnitude of the theft of telephone copper wires is a lot higher than what might be attributed to random acts of crime. POTs and PANs
• [New] The rapid expansion of cryptocurrency ecosystems has introduced transformative opportunities for global financial systems while simultaneously presenting new risks related to financial crime and regulatory enforcement. Unknown
• [New] The Whistleblower Program will contribute to the U.S. government's efforts to safeguard the financial system from illicit use, promote national security, and combat money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and related crimes. Federal Register
• [New] AI crime solving tools are being adopted at an accelerating pace by police agencies across the United States, with results that can be dramatic but that experts and civil liberties advocates say come with serious risks of false leads, wrongful investigations, and violations of due process. MEXC
• [New] Deepfakes are reaching U.S. courtrooms and raising the risk of fabricated evidence influencing criminal cases. Forensic Focus
• [New] The U.S. homeland faces at least three current threats: an attack by ballistic and cruise missiles, terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction, and electronic-cyber attacks against critical infrastructure. The Heritage Foundation

Last updated: 25 April 2026