Europol: ad-hoc groups are being recruited through social media for museum thefts

Some of the recent thefts from museums indicate the emergence of a criminal profile different from traditional networks specialized in cultural goods. Europol states that the perpetrators can be recruited locally through social media and messaging applications, sometimes without having known each other beforehand, in a possible "crime-as-a-service" model.

Europol is investigating the emergence of a new profile of criminals involved in museum thefts, where the perpetrators can be recruited through social media and communication applications for targeted organized operations. The agency states that some of the individuals apprehended in recent cases had no prior connections between them, which differs from traditional networks trafficking cultural goods, usually built around a stable group and a leader.

In short

1. Europol states that some groups involved in recent museum thefts appear to be formed ad-hoc and do not have the stable structure of traditional networks.

2. In certain cases, the perpetrators may have been recruited locally through social media and instant communication channels, without prior relationships between them.

3. The agency is analyzing the possibility of a "crime-as-a-service" model, in which individuals are recruited to carry out a specific operation.

4. Another scenario is the entry into heritage thefts of criminals already active in other criminal markets, attracted by the high potential for profit.

5. Europol emphasizes that there is still a lack of information and does not assert that this model has replaced traditional networks of cultural trafficking.

The traditional profile of a cultural goods trafficker described by Europol is that of a specialist who tries to avoid violence, works within a relatively stable network, and uses specific experience in heritage thefts and organized crime against property. The objective is usually for the disappearance of the goods to be discovered as late as possible and for the operation to attract as little attention as possible.

However, some recent cases present a different structure. Europol states that among the apprehended individuals are those with experience in other forms of crime, and some teams appear to have been formed solely for the execution of a specific theft.

Social media and instant communication channels appear in the agency's assessment as tools through which such individuals can be recruited locally. Participants do not necessarily have to have previously been part of the same organization and can be gathered for specific roles in an operation.

Europol describes this possibility as a model close to "crime-as-a-service." Instead of an organization that retains the same members and controls the entire chain, from theft to the valorization of objects, certain tasks could be performed by individuals recruited on a case-by-case basis.

The agency does not say that this mechanism is already confirmed as a dominant model. The report specifies that there is still a lack of information and presents ad-hoc recruitment as one of the possible explanations for the observed changes in profiles.

Another explanation is the entry into this market of networks that operate in other criminal fields. Europol considers it possible that they have identified museum thefts as an activity with an attractive ratio between profit and perceived risk.

This evolution coincides with a more frequent use of violence. Unlike traditional traffickers, who try to avoid confrontation, some of the new groups are willing to use bats, axes, explosives, and, in certain cases, firearms to quickly reach the targeted objects.

The report describes them as more decentralized and opportunistic groups, which can combine experience from other criminal fields with information about the value and accessibility of objects displayed in museums.

The change does not only concern the individuals entering the museum. An operation may involve prior reconnaissance, exact identification of objects, transport, storage, and finding a market for the stolen goods, which means that the visible perpetrators may represent only a part of the mechanism.

Europol continues to monitor whether these ad-hoc structures consolidate into a repetitive model. The agency warns, however, that the emergence of criminals from other markets and the availability of rapid recruitment can alter the criminal profile targeting cultural heritage.

Trafficking in cultural goods has traditionally been associated with specialized networks, built around relationships of trust and knowledge of the art market. The new cases analyzed by Europol indicate the possibility that this structure may coexist with more flexible and violent groups.

The report does not quantify the proportion of thefts carried out through online recruitment and does not identify specific platforms. Europol's conclusion is that there are sufficient indications for ad-hoc recruitment and the participation of criminals from other criminal markets to be treated as developments that need to be monitored.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/europol-grupuri-ad-hoc-sunt-recrutate-prin-social-media-pentru-furturi-din-muzee