Europol - Newsroom

1. International investigation disrupts phishing-as-a-service platform LabHost

   Between Sunday 14 April and Wednesday 17 April a total of 70 addresses were searched across the world, resulting in the arrest of 37 suspects. This includes the arrest of 4 individuals in the United Kingdom linked to the running of the site, including the original developer of the service.The LabHost platform, previously available on the open web, has been...

2. 20 arrests in clampdown against gang suspected of laundering EUR 10 million

   The crackdown was the result of a long-running investigation led by the Spanish Police and Spanish Regional Catalan Police, supported by Europol and also involving Portuguese authorities. During the action days, law enforcement officers carried out 13 searches that led to the seizure of:EUR 156 000 in cash,gold bars worth EUR 35 000,more than 50 vehicles,jewellery and over 30 luxury...

3. 9 arrests in EUR 645 million JuicyFields investment scam case

   According to judicial estimates, the total damages resulting from fake investments in the advertised cannabis cultivation crowdsourcing platform amount to a staggering EUR 645 million, but actual and unreported damages could be significantly higher. In total, an estimated 550 000 participants worldwide, most of them European citizens, were registered as online investors. Using bank transfers or cryptocurrencies, around 186 000...

4. More than 3 000 law enforcement authorities now connected to Europol

   The platform enables the swift exchange of operational and strategic information among Europol, EU Member States and partner countries with which Europol has cooperation agreements or working arrangements. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.In a world where threats can materialise at a moment’s notice, and criminals operate across borders with unprecedented speed and sophistication,...

5. 63 forgers arrested in Naples

   The investigation was initiated by Carabinieri anti-counterfeiting investigators in January 2023, who received support from Europol. The aim of the investigation was to take down the Naples-based criminal group. The group was mostly active in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, but they sold their counterfeit banknotes across Europe.Europol facilitated the information exchange and financed and coordinated several operational...