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] Labour wants a dramatic expansion of police use of AI within England and Wales, with police chiefs also believing it could help keep law enforcement up to date with new criminal threats. The Guardian
• [New] Canada could introduce laws requiring artificial intelligence companies to notify police of online threats. 650 CKOM
• [New] Under the updated Crime and Policing Bill, firms that fail to comply risk fines of up to 10% of global revenue or potential service restrictions, with enforcement overseen by Ofcom. Digital Watch Observatory
• [New] In Western countries, including the UK, officers will lean more towards the crime fighting robot. Daily Mail
• [New] India faces terrorist threats on all three fronts - water, land and air - and capacities have been developed to protect the critical sectors of the Indian economy, including power, railways, aviation, ports, defence, space and atomic energy, from State / non-State actors. The Hindu
• [New] The ISF risks becoming little more than a buffer between the IDF and Hamas terrorists, potentially serving as an inadvertent shield when the IDF responds to renewed terrorist activity. The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com
• [New] Trump is expected to announce the countries that will contribute personnel for a UN-authorised stabilization force and assist in training a new Palestinian police force, which the NCAG is expected to oversee. Caliber.az
• [New] Due to the continued threats of terrorist financing and proliferation financing linked to Iran, and because Iran's action plan remains incomplete, the FATF reinforces its call to its members and urges all jurisdictions to implement effective countermeasures against Iran. FIAU MALTA
• [New] The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation has completed its terrorism retrocession program for 2026, adjusting the structure and limit of its protection in line with updated legislation and its current view of terrorism risk in Australia. Insurance Business
• [New] Beyond bribery and corruption, businesses operating across APAC face a broad spectrum of compliance risks, including money laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions, and export controls. Morrison Foerster
• [New] The UK's £1.85 million counter-UAS competition signals growing recognition that criminal drone exploitation of custodial facilities represents a national security vulnerability requiring specialized last-line-of-defense technologies that avoid collateral damage in urban environments. Drone Warfare
• [New] In 2026, cyber threats will be defined by fragmented, constant pressure driven by persistent access, decentralized criminal ecosystems, influence operations, and synthetic identities that will replace singular attacks with continuous, low-visibility disruption. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Robot dogs will patrol parts of Mexico during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving police a new way to assess threats before officers step into potentially dangerous situations. Interesting Engineering
• [New] In Indiana, lawmakers approved legislation expanding the role of the National Guard's military police in certain law enforcement functions, giving the governor authority that some Democrats say could be abused. Standard-Examiner
• [New] Last month, Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean Slate Act into law, paving the way for an estimated 1.7 million adults with nonviolent criminal records to have them automatically sealed beginning in 2029. Standard-Examiner
• [New] Police departments will start using police robots which have artificial intelligence capabilities for their basic patrol duties within the next two years. The News International
• [New] Nestle, Lactalis, Danone, Babybio and La Marque en moins will be probed over whether there was any criminal wrongdoing in distributing baby formula that may have been contaminated with cereulide. BBC News

Last updated: 28 February 2026