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] Smart technologies such as police AI could help cities reduce crime by 30-40% and reduce response times for emergency services by 20-35%. Rev
• [New] HSBC plans to add more than 200 AI use cases through an expanded Google Cloud partnership, with early priorities in customer personalization, financial-crime risk and staff productivity. Newsweek
• [New] The Dubai Financial Services Authority systematically updates its Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorist Financing and Sanctions (AML) Module to respond to emerging ML / FT and PF risks, technological advancements and shifts in UAE legislation by publishing Rule-Making Instruments. AML UAE
• [New] The US Department of Justice sent letters to election officials in every state threatening potential criminal charges for officials if noncitizens vote, an escalation in an ongoing push by the federal government. The Guardian
• [New] A new executive order, issued by George W. Bush, allowed for the sanctioning of terrorist groups simply for threatening US interests broadly defined, without any necessary tie-in to the Middle East peace process. H-Diplo|RJISSF
• [New] Genuine global security will not come from celebrating favourable statistics, but from consistently addressing the root causes - conflict, governance failure, and digital radicalization - that keep the underlying ideology of terrorism alive even as headline numbers fall. Riyasat IAS
• [New] Technological advances, including artificial intelligence and data-driven tools, are transforming policing across the globe, offering new opportunities to improve situational awareness decision-making, and operational effectiveness. United Nations
• [New] America's military responsibilities span every continent and ocean, maintaining a global force capable of deterring China in the Indo-Pacific, defending NATO allies in Europe, protecting freedom of navigation and responding to terrorist threats wherever they may be. Senator Tim Sheehy
• [New] The resurgent threat of transnational far-left terrorism is characterized by violent attacks against private citizens, government officials, police and law enforcement, businesses, and critical infrastructure across the globe. United States Department of State
• [New] Over the past three years, Europe has experienced a record high number of terrorist attacks targeting rail networks, critical infrastructure, and private businesses, resulting in millions of euros in damage and economic disruption, with most attacks attributed to far-left and anarchist actors. United States Department of State
• [New] There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Belgium. U.S. Embassy in Belgium
• [New] The Online Safety Act combined with the UK's vague definition of what constitutes supporting terrorism could lead to political speech being censored at scale in the UK. Open Rights Group
• [New] Pacific Island Chiefs of Police have watched from afar the impacts of illicit drugs on Australia and now they fear the diabolical reality facing their communities. RNZ
• [New] The U.S. and Ecuador governments signed a Safe Border Implementation Charter committing the U.S. government to increased U.S. assistance to the South American country to combat transnational crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and other threats affecting border areas. Adam Isacson
• [New] The inclusion of VASPs demonstrates Guatemala's recognition that digital assets present both innovation opportunities and financial crime risks. ZIGRAM | AML, Fraud & Financial Crime Compliance Softwa
• [New] Build Capacity Against Hybrid Threats: India must adopt a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to counter hybrid threats that blend terrorism, cyber attacks, disinformation, and economic coercion. Drishti IAS
• [New] Because fraud remains a principal predicate offense for money laundering, financial institutions can expect greater reliance on BSA reporting, transaction monitoring, and financial intelligence to identify, trace, and recover criminal proceeds. Gibson Dunn
• [New] PoliceAI, the National Centre for Police AI, will pilot AI tools capable of automatically generating summaries of digital material, with a view to scaling across all police forces in 2027. UKAuthority
• [New] While jihadist terrorism continues to constitute the most persistent threat, the lines between established terrorist ideologies and other forms of violent extremism are becoming increasingly blurred. The Guardian
• [New] Discussions highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated whole-of-society approach to address increasingly complex and evolving financial crime threats across South-East Asia. United Nations : UNODC Regional Office for Southeast As
• [New] Italy's Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to the Free to Choose (Liberi di Scegliere) bill, a landmark law offering children and young adults raised in mafia families the chance to escape the criminal organizations they might otherwise be expected to inherit. Al Jazeera
• [New] The World's food supply of grains and soy could be cut off, oil and energy flows could be further disrupted, the battle against international terrorism stymied, and vital international trade corridors severed. Unlimited Hangout
• [New] China will continue to deploy more highly qualified policing professionals to UN missions, maintain its standing police capacity at the highest level of readiness and contribute to enhancing the professionalism and mandate implementation capacity of UN policing. United Nations

Last updated: 01 August 2026