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] Although the threat from terrorism in Switzerland is generally low, there is still a risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by tourists and expatriates. Ireland.ie
• [New] The IDF could lure Hamas into a false sense of security and pull off a Shifa Hospital-style clean-up operation, just as soon as the terrorist group concentrates too many of its forces in one place. The Jerusalem Post
• [New] The NATO alliance provides Greece with a crucial framework for defence cooperation, enabling it to effectively address common security threats, including terrorism, cyber-attacks, and regional instability. GreekReporter.com
• [New] The use of artificial intelligence is not contrary to international law, but the way Israel is using it could amount to a war crime. Le Monde.fr
• [New] In 2024's Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, terrorism shows up on page 38 out of 40, behind problems such as fentanyl, money laundering, cyber crime and human trafficking. BizNews.com
• [New] The Israeli military's reported use of an untested and undisclosed artificial intelligence-powered database to identify targets for its bombing campaign in Gaza has alarmed human rights and technology experts who said it could amount to war crimes. Al Jazeera
• [New] The Israeli military has rejected the claims in the +972 Magazine report, issuing a statement saying it does not use an artificial intelligence system that identifies terrorist operatives or tries to predict whether a person is a terrorist. The National
• [New] Civil servants overseeing arms exports to Israel have requested to cease work immediately over fears they could be complicit in war crimes in Gaza. Sky News
• [New] Collaborative efforts among regional and international actors can pave the way for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan, contributing to regional stability and countering the global threat of terrorism. The Diplomat
• [New] The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology recognizes the increasing threat of cyber crime as Namibians rely more on technology. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] Though increased strike precision and reduced resource commitments are attractive, the resulting U.S. counterterrorism approach replaces a strategic aim of defeating al Qaeda and the Islamic State with one that instead manages the terrorist threat they pose - a future problem for the United States. Critical Threats
• [New] As the scale of death, destruction and human suffering escalated, concerns hardened into warnings that Israel risked committing war crimes, including from key allies. The Guardian
• [New] A worrying 2023 report previously warned that hate crimes will likely increase during the 2024 presidential race for the White House as groups including neo-Nazis attempt to wage war on democracy. PinkNews
• [New] In October Israel launched a justified war of self-defence against Hamas, whose terrorists had committed atrocities that threaten the idea of Israel as a land where Jews are safe. The Economist
• [New] The threat to Biden now is that Netanyahu paints him as abetting terrorism by pushing Israel into a ceasefire, allowing the Israeli leader to blame the US president for a failure to eliminate Hamas. The Guardian
• Israeli actions could amount to using starvation as a weapon of war and would prove to be a war crime if proven. The Independent
• Reducing and preventing financial crime: The FCA will increase investment in its systems to use intelligence and data more effectively in order to target higher risk firms and activities and continue working with partners to support system-wide improvements. Lexology
• Digital Safety and Security: Thailand is accelerating the development of tools to address cyber threats and online crime. OpenGov Asia
• Current abuses could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and further warn of a high risk of genocide if mass killings continue. NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
• Russian officials are tying the US and the West to a broader set of terrorist attacks against Russia following the Crocus City Hall attack, likely to intensify rhetoric about alleged Western and Ukrainian threats to generate greater domestic support for the war in Ukraine. Institute for the Study of War
• The United States has crucial opportunities to strengthen its own law enforcement actions against dangerous drug supply by reconceptualizing the counternarcotics effort more broadly as against all activities of criminal actors smuggling dangerous contraband. Brookings
• The key new activity for 2024/25 will be increasing investment in the FCA's systems to use intelligence and data more effectively within its financial crime work, so that it can target higher risk firms and activities. Lexology

Last updated: 13 April 2024