Session 12 – Challenges and best practices on Combatting High-Risk Criminal Networks, including the external dimension

Moderators:

• Lorenzo SALAZAR, Former Deputy General Prosecutor of Naples and Advisor to the OECD and Council of Europe
• Paulo MACHADO, Public Secrity Policer, Portugal
• Eugenio ZANIBONI, Professor, University of Foggia, Italy

Panellists:

• Anastasios-Nikolaos KANELLOPOULOS, Athens University of Economics and Business - Greece

Leveraging Travel Intelligence to Counter High-Risk Criminal Networks: The Case of the Albanian Mafia

This paper explores the strategic utilization of Travel Intelligence (TRAVINT) in countering High-Risk Criminal Networks (HRCN), with a specific emphasis on the activities of the Albanian Mafia. It begins by introducing the escalating threat posed by transnational criminal organizations, underscoring their adaptability and expansive global reach. Following this, the theoretical framework of HRCN is examined to elucidate the complex dynamics and operational strategies employed by such entities.

Furthermore, the concept of TRAVINT is defined within the context of law enforcement and national security, highlighting its role as a critical tool for gathering and analyzing travel-related data and information to identify patterns and connections exploited by criminal networks. The paper delves into existing methodologies utilized in leveraging TRAVINT to counter HRCN activities, elucidating its potential in enhancing situational awareness and facilitating proactive response measures.

Additionally, a detailed case study focusing on the Albanian Mafia is presented to illustrate the real-world applications of TRAVINT in combating transnational organized crime. This case study highlights specific instances where travel analysis has facilitated the disruption of criminal operations, the identification of key operatives, and the dismantling of illicit networks.

In conclusion, the paper summarizes key findings and insights derived from the study, emphasizing the significance of integrating TRAVINT into law enforcement strategies to effectively counter the mobility and operational agility of HRCN. The proposed research contributes to advancing knowledge in the field of transnational crime and underscores the importance of innovative approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration in combating organized criminal activities. 

• Luna FILIPOVIC, Affiliated Professor - University of California Davis - United States of America

How forensic linguistics can help fight international crime

This research-based contribution has two goals: 1) to provide examples of both good and bad practice in evidence elicitation internationally and 2) to illustrate some of the areas in which forensic linguistic expertise can help fight international crime. 

The central focus is on how to communicate with suspect and reluctant witnesses and detect, avoid and resolve miscommunication in real-time, on the spot, in both monolingual and multilingual interactions. In order to demonstrate how to achieve this goal in practice, we will rely on authentic examples from policing contexts in both the UK and the US and exemplify the different factors that affect the amount and the quality of elicited evidence, including the questioning method, linguistic and cultural differences, and provision of language services. This enables us to empirically demonstrate how analyses of real-life data, such as police transcripts can inform training and improve practice. Finally, we will zoom in on some features of non-native English, the language of international crime, and illustrate how this knowledge can be applied in the analysis of communicative exchanges on the Darknet, resulting in investigative benefits as well as empirically enriched training courses for police forces globally. 

• Milena MANUKYAN, Special importance case investigator - Investigative Committee of The Republic of Armenia - Armenia 

Cybercrime related High-Risk Criminal networks in Armenia

The goal of this paper is to show that high-risk criminal networks increasingly take part in committing Cybercrime especially in investment frauds and phishing attacks in Armenia. HRCN especially form transnational organized crime groups, the actors of which are committing the illegal activities in different countries, by that causing difficulty of its investigation and identification of persons. The organizers and the heads of criminal organizations engage numerous people living in different countries for assisting the planned criminal activities, moreover in higher-level organized crime we can see multiple high-risk criminal networks under one organization and co-operating with each other.

The findings in this paper are based on the investigation of more than 700 cybercrime cases, including the investigation of the biggest phishing attack case in Armenia, being the head of investigation team of the criminal fraudulent transnational call center case, taking part in investigation groups and practice in international cooperation. 

The main attention is drown to challenges while combatting HRCN related to cybercrime, such as diverse locationing, transnational element, using people who do no not acknowledge the nature of their actions, transformation of illegally gained assets into different types of cryptocurrency. Parallel to mentioned challenges the best practices, investigative techniques that took part and were used in Armenia are being discussed in the paper. 

• Patricia FARALDO CABANA, Full professor of Criminal Law – Universidad de da Coruña - Spain

Exploring the EU Perspective on the Organised Nature of the Trafficking in Cultural Goods 

In recent years the characterisation of the trafficking of cultural property as a form of organised crime has gained prominence in EU policies on the protection of cultural heritage. This article analyses how the EU has conceptualised and operationalised this link in terms of describing the phenomenon and designing countermeasures. Through a content analysis, we evaluate this connection in EU policy documents published from 1993 to 2023 that include both “organised crime” and “trafficking of cultural property” or similar terms (n=58). 

The analysis demonstrates conceptual deficits and a correspondingly weak foundation for EU policy, since misunderstandings related to the organised nature of trafficking of cultural property and its overlaps with other forms of organised crime, particularly terrorist financing, may result in misguided policies with the potential to undermine law enforcement efforts. We also address the addition to the list of obliged entities and persons in the anti-money laundering framework of persons trading or acting as intermediaries in the trade of cultural goods, because it opens new opportunities to disrupt the illicit financial flow in the art market. This paper is one of the results of the EU project Research, Intelligence and Technology for Heritage and Market Security (RITHMS).