Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

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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] The UN report assessed the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant-Khorasan Province as the most serious terrorist threat in Afghanistan and the wider region. MorungExpress
• [New] What is more worrying is that around 200 fighters of the Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), the South Asia-focused branch of the parent terrorist organization, are still active, and who might be planning operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Bangladesh and Myanmar. MorungExpress
• [New] The UK's Financial Conduct Authority recommends that firms should have a proportionate and risk-based approach to help make sure their platforms are not being exploited and their customers are not being put at risk by criminal groups. Sumsub
• [New] Hybrid quantum computing is beginning to show real-world potential across private and public sectors, and we are thrilled to see the potential for it to make a meaningful impact in forward deployment with North Wales Police. UKAuthority
• [New] Chicago is one of a slew of US cities where Trump has deployed or threatened to deploy the national guard and other troops in order to help police the immigration crackdown - or, in some cases, to respond to inflated claims about crime levels. The Guardian
• [New] Police bosses have shut down the idea that drones could replace crewed aircraft in Wiltshire. The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald
• [New] The Nahua and Popoluca peoples from the south of Veracruz are under siege by organized crime and also risk territorial destruction and their disappearance as a people because of the threats brought by mining, wind farms, and above all, hydrocarbon exploitation through fracking. Radio Zapatista
• [New] London-based financial crime intelligence firm Themis has acquired fraud monitoring company Pasabi, in a move aimed to accelerate the use of AI in tackling one of the fastest-growing criminal threats facing businesses and consumers globally. City AM
• [New] For over 20 years, European actors have sought to avert a conflict with Iran that could further destabilise a war-torn region close to its borders, triggering migration flows, terrorism and threats to energy supplies. European Union Institute for Security Studies
• [New] Experts from Europol's Financial and Economic Crime Centre will present emerging criminal typologies and advances in tackling crypto-related money laundering and underground banking. Basel Institute on Governance
• [New] The U.S. recently designated the Baloch Liberation Army and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as FTOs in a bid to win China's counterterrorism cooperation against common terrorist threats, despite ongoing geopolitical rivalry. The Diplomat
• [New] The combat experience the TIP gained in Syria will make it attractive to regional terrorist networks to benefit from its operational and strategic skills. The Diplomat
• [New] The Islamic State terrorist group is exploiting the Syrian regime's vulnerabilities to resurge. The Diplomat
• [New] Mooresville police will soon deploy drones to track robbery and theft suspects running or driving from the scenes of their crimes. Yahoo News
• [New] Not only is there no commitment to hold Israel to account for war crimes, but the Palestinian Authority will have to drop all involvement in the cases being taken against the US or Israel at the ICJ and the International Criminal Court. The Conversation
• [New] Driven primarily by the US, in consultation with Egypt and Jordan, there will be a role for international partners to help train and provide support to vetted Palestinian police forces. The Conversation
• [New] The ISF will work with Israel and Egypt to help secure border areas, along with newly trained Palestinian police forces. Al Jazeera
• [New] The Middle East remains a focal point of global geopolitical risk in 2025, with tensions between Israel and Iran, sporadic terrorist threats, and military posturing shaping investor sentiment. Ainvest
• The cybersecurity landscape of 2026 represents a critical inflection point where emerging technologies amplify both criminal capabilities and defensive opportunities. Cybercrime Magazine
• The U.S.-Panama plan envisions the deployment of up to 5,500 soldiers and police officers to Haiti. Just Security
• Governments will soon use AI-enhanced surveillance not merely to fight terrorism or deport immigrants but to shape behaviour. Reason.com

Last updated: 11 October 2025