Europol spotlight: the use of violence by organized crime groups

The use of violence by organised crime groups is a growing concern in the European Union (EU)1. The cases contributed to Europol suggest there has been a rise in the number of violent incidents associated with serious and organised crime over the last few years, as well as an increase in the impact and visibility they have had (a recent example is the discovery in July 2020 of a number of shipping containers in the Netherlands which had been converted into torture chambers). Recent cases in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Spain, as well as gang wars in Sweden (among others) have also pointed to an increasing willingness by organised crime groups to employ deadly violence in pursuit of their criminal objectives.