400,000 gang members in Europe: 'They constantly reinvent themselves,' says Europol

Europe is grappling with a dynamic and constantly evolving landscape of organized crime, with Europol estimating that around 400,000 individuals are connected to gang activities across the continent. A recent Europol report indicates a significant turnover in the criminal underworld, with 76 percent of the most dangerous gangs identified two years ago no longer active. However, this decline is offset by the emergence of nearly an equal number of new groups.

“

Crime is flourishing.

"Crime is flourishing," stated EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner, emphasizing the flexibility and adaptability of these criminal organizations. He noted that gangs do not simply disappear when leaders are arrested; they reconfigure and re-emerge in new forms. "They change, they merge, they constantly reinvent themselves, making them harder to track and to crack," Brunner explained.

“

They change, they merge, they constantly reinvent themselves, making them harder to track and to crack.

The report identifies 731 criminal organizations, many of which operate with clear hierarchies and often use legitimate businesses as fronts. The multinational nature of these networks is a key challenge. Swedish operations, such as "Operation Candy," which involved a global crime syndicate with links to Thailand and arrests in Spain, exemplify this transnational reach. The Swedish network Foxtrot is also mentioned in the report.

“

The two [Dalen and Rumba] we perceive as barely existing anymore, while the Foxtrot network has been significantly limited, and we believe that is another circumstance that has pushed down violence.

Despite a recent decrease in violent incidents linked to prominent Swedish gangs like Dalen, Rumba, and Foxtrot, authorities caution that the underlying criminal structures remain. Stefan Hector, deputy national police commissioner, stated that while these specific gangs have been "pushed back," their members continue to operate within criminal environments, forming new alliances. Dan Windt, who leads the police's work against gang violence, confirmed that individuals previously associated with these gangs are still active in new contexts. According to Europol, over a third of these gangs are involved in drug smuggling, and nearly a fifth engage in online fraud.

“

Those who were connected to these gangs continue to be criminals, but in new contexts and environments. They are still out there.