Europol warns that digital tech and use of violence are among the main tools for people smugglers and traffickers

22nd January 2026Sarah Gibbons, Contributing Editor, Policing Insight

The latest report from Europol’s European Migrant Smuggling Centre is warning that criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and people trafficking are now more agile than ever and operate in scalable, structured, global networks, with the exploitation of digital tools and social media alongside a growing willingness to use violence all increasingly parts of the criminals’ armoury, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

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Europol warns that digital tech and use of violence are among the main tools for people smugglers and traffickers

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