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] As global demand for gold and critical minerals continues to grow, illegal extraction and trafficking are increasingly linked to organized crime, illicit financial flows, corruption, environmental harm, and broader governance vulnerabilities. United Nations Western Europe
• [New] Vulnerability exploitation as an initial access vector surged 34% globally as well, reflecting how quickly criminal crews now weaponize newly disclosed CVEs. Swif.ai
• [New] A global revival of securitization will unfortunately reinforce 'tough on crime / tough on drugs' posturing by governments, which will continue to have devastating consequences for health and human rights. IDPC
• [New] Without RFE/RL's continued service, the U.S. government will lose valuable insight and reporting in areas where terrorist threats are emanating. Cronkite News
• [New] Next week's Federal Budget will provide $74 million over two years to set up a dedicated national center with the role of detecting and disrupting the evolving threat of online violent extremism and terrorism. Region Canberra
• [New] Treasury's initiative reinforces that cyber-risk and AML/CFT risk are increasingly intertwined - particularly for digital-asset platforms that face both technical and financial-crime threats. Money Laundering Watch
• [New] While representing domestic violence litigants, students have an opportunity to gain exposure to criminal practice by collaborating with the US Attorney's Office in related prosecutions of accused batterers. GW Law
• [New] Even relatively small criminal gangs will target Samsung's code repositories (possibly for ransomware or resale). Risk Intelligence Service
• [New] Mexico Security Concerns: In Mexico, the biggest risk very likely remains ubiquitous cartel-related crime. ZeroFOX
• [New] Growing volatility in the organized crime ecosystem will likely fuel an increase in violence throughout the rest of Trump's term, potentially undermining any short-term improvements achieved through hardline approaches. Acled
• [New] While CCE is likely to become an increasingly important route to youth crime and violence, almost nothing is known about which interventions might be effective. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] 2026's World Cup - taking place across the United States, Canada and Mexico - is likely to be subject to a number of acts of cyber terrorism, while the use of drones could fuel domestic, physical terrorism. City AM
• [New] The United States faces an increasingly complex and unpredictable terrorism landscape. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] Police services across Canada have recently warned of an increase in distraction thefts occurring in parking lots, shopping centers, and other busy areas. CNW Group
• [New] A terrorist attack on U.S. soil might rally Americans and lead to escalation against Iran, making it harder for Iran to achieve a favorable war settlement. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] Under Trump's executive order, the U.S. government will consolidate Bitcoin seized from criminal and civil forfeitures, holding it as a reserve asset-similar to how gold or petroleum reserves are maintained. Backpack Exchange
• [New] DOJ lawsuits against 30 states for private voter data, federal investigations, threats of criminal charges, seizures of voting materials, DOJ requests for names of election workers, and even raids of election offices are increasingly being used to intimidate election administrators. Issue One
• [New] Spies will scour gaming platforms and social media for extremist content in a bid to clamp down on terrorist activity across Australia. SBS News
• [New] Singapore has a reasonable understanding of financial crime risks from companies here, but has a weaker grasp when it comes to foreign trusts, unregistered foreign companies and more complex company structures. ST
• [New] China's singular crime is to have built an economy larger than the United States, with industrial breadth and depth that the United States not only does not possess but cannot hope to emulate. Pearls and Irritations
• Uncertainty regarding the future of global terrorism is increasing, bringing greater risk of surprise. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Fifa World Cup matches set to be held across the United States face heightened terrorism risks, with experts warning that vulnerabilities are being amplified by the US-Israel conflict with Iran and a depletion of counter-terrorism expertise within federal law enforcement. Counter Extremism Project

Last updated: 13 June 2026