Organised crime groups commit property crime across the entire EU including organised vehicle theft, burglaries, armed robberies, metal and cargo theft. Relatively low punishments for most property crimes, their diversity and the fact that these crimes are often investigated at a local level make them attractive to criminal groups.
In June 2014, the French Gendarmerie, supported by Europol, hit Moldovan crime networks involved in organised property crime. The criminal group was stealing jewellery, boat engines and expensive racing bicycles in France.
Operation Capalest resulted in 10 arrests which included the leaders of the criminal groups. They are known to have transported the cash and property they stole from France back to Romania and Moldova using minibuses.
As a response to ongoing investigations and following an increased number of reports from Member States, Europol issued an Early Warning Notification on thefts of agricultural machinery. The numbers of thefts of agricultural machinery such as tractors as well as other heavy farming equipment have been increasing across many Member States.
In January 2014, a joint operation between the French Gendarmerie, Spanish Guardia Civil and the Romanian National Police, coordinated and supported by Eurojust and Europol, resulted in the arrest of nine suspects and stopped a group stealing tractors in France, Romania and Spain. Europol deployed staff to Spain and provided real-time analysis and cross-checking of data from its coordination centre.
Metal theft is an increasing problem for many Member States and threatens critical infrastructures such as electricity supply networks or railways. The copper found in wires is a particularly sought-after and valuable commodity. Metal thieves risk lives by disconnecting electricity or removing overhead cables on train lines.
In May 2014, European law enforcement authorities sent a strong signal to the gangs of organised metal thieves who operate all over Europe, and the many scrapyards that accept all kinds of metal with ‘no questions asked’. A joint operation supported by Europol and involving 20 European countries resulted in 271 arrests, identified 146 cases of theft and checked 8300 scrap metal dealers.
Checks were carried out at scrapyards, on construction sites, along border roads, railway tracks and other hot spots for metal theft. Stolen metal is often transported across several borders and sold as scrap, or for recycling, far away from the scene of the crime. The operation was driven by the Belgian Federal and Judicial Police and was the result of an initiative launched during the 2nd conference on metal theft held at Europol at the end of April 2014.
In 2014, Europol reported on a new modus operandi used by criminals to steal goods from lorries. The thieves hide in wooden boxes and then arrange for their pick-up by parcel delivery companies.
During the journey, they leave the boxes during transport in the backs of lorries and steal valuable items such as jewellery, phones or electronics. To leave the vehicles, the team contacts accomplices who simulate an accident to stop the lorries. The thieves hidden in the lorries escape via holes cut out of the roofs of the lorries and are then picked up by other accomplices.
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Europol is working together with partners across the world to combat the distribution of counterfeit goods. In 2014, several successful operations highlighted the threat of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, food and drinks to consumers in the EU.
