"Violence as a service": Europol very concerned about criminals recruiting teens online

Europol is very concerned about organized crime recruiting teenagers via social media to carry out violence. In its quadrennial threat assessment on organized crime, the European policing service described this “violence as a service” as a new and serious threat to European citizens.

“Because of how order givers recruit the perpetrators of very serious crimes such as extortion, kidnapping, and murder, they often remain unscathed,” Andy Kraag, the head of Europol’s European Serious and Organized Crime Center, told NRC. While the “young people who do the dirty work for criminal leaders run great risks.”

In the Dutch criminal underworld, teenagers and young men are often recruited to place and set off explosives or retrieve smuggled cocaine from containers in the ports of Rotterdam, Vlissingen, and Antwerp, for example. They get recruited on social media platforms like Snapchat, Telegram, or Discord, where they also have to post videos showing proof that they have completed their tasks.

“These young people make those videos as evidence for their clients. We call this the gamification of serious violence. Unfortunately, a certain group of young people think this is great,” Kraag said. So the videos also serve as recruitment for new offenders. “They are often presented in the style of videos by online influencers that connect with young people’s world of experience.”

Young people who show interest are then contacted via direct message, where the grooming starts, Kraag said. “It is subtle, initially very friendly, and young people are promised money and goods. Once they have agreed and realize what is really expected of them, they can no longer turn back. The recruiters are merciless.”

These children usually don’t realize the consequences of their crimes and often don’t even know who they are working for, Kraag said. “They also rarely get the money that has been promised to them.” And they often get caught. “After they have carried out their assignment, they have no idea what to do.”

Kraag considers these teenagers, sometimes only 14 or 15 years old, as both perpetrators and victims. Their order givers mercilessly turn against them if they do not complete their tasks properly or are caught by the authorities. “They see these children as disposable items. And they run a great risk of blackmail or violent repercussions,” Kraag said.

According to Kraag, the social consequences cannot be overstated. “Not only the perpetrators themselves, but also their family members, neighbors, and friends can become the target of repercussions. That is one of the reasons why we see this new practice as a major threat from organized crime for European citizens.”