The activities of smugglers are increasingly moving to social networks and encrypted platforms.
The European police agency Europol has opened a new European Center for Combating the Illegal Import of Migrants (ECAMS). The aim of the center is to combat the digital aspect and economic model of this illegal business.
Europol intends to enhance its investigative capabilities in the fight against organized crime, which often takes lives. This was announced at a conference at the agency's headquarters in The Hague in the presence of its director, Catherine de Bolle.
ECAMS will focus its efforts on data-driven investigations and information from open sources (OSINT). The center will also conduct financial investigations to trace the illegal proceeds of smugglers.
“The launch of ECAMS demonstrates Europe’s determination to view the illegal import of migrants for what it truly is: a serious form of organized crime that often takes lives and generates profit,” said Catherine de Bolle.
Europol specifies on its website that this new structure strengthens its operational, technical, and analytical capabilities. The activities of smugglers are increasingly moving to social networks and encrypted platforms.
These platforms are used to facilitate illegal border crossings or organize the movement of migrants. ECAMS intends to focus part of its activities on this digital component, which has become a key factor in identifying and disrupting the activities of criminal networks.
The agency also aims to combat the economic model of human trafficking. “Criminal networks generate huge profits by exploiting vulnerable people,” explained de Bolle.
According to Europol, some migrants pay 20,000 euros or more to reach their destination. These journeys are dangerous and often begin in the migrants' countries of origin. The profits generated are then used to finance new operations and strengthen the criminal infrastructure.
ECAMS plans to use in-depth financial analysis to identify these flows and establish connections between participants in the funding chain.
The establishment of the center is aimed at expanding ongoing operations and creating a more integrated framework for cooperation between European and international partners.
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