Europol has announced a new operational task force to combat the recent notable rise in “Violence-as-a service”, named the OTF GRIMM. “Violence as a Service” (VaaS) refers to the outsourcing or commercialisation of violent acts, such as assaults, intimidation, kidnappings, torture, or contract killings, etc., typically facilitated through illicit online platforms or criminal networks. This task force includes law enforcement agencies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and will be led by Sweden.
(Source: https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/eight-countries-launch-operational-taskforce-to-tackle-violence-service)

Fintel Alliance, the Public-Private Partnership initiative by Australia’s Financial Intelligence Unit, is expanding its work by setting up a collaborative data analytics hub. This hub will serve as a data-sharing platform that will help in identifying criminal patterns in the financial sector, which will help combat financial crimes.
(Source: https://www.austrac.gov.au/news-and-media/media-release/fintel-alliance-expand-after-intelligence-partnerships-prove-essential-fight-financial-crime)

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has released a new report – Inflection Point: Global Implications of Scam Centres, Underground Banking and Illicit Online Marketplaces in Southeast Asia, that analyses regional threats. According to this report, the infamous transnational crime gangs operating from scam compounds are now expanding and spreading to other continents like the Americas and Europe.
(Source: https://www.unodc.org/roseap/en/2025/04/cyberfraud-inflection-point-mekong/story.html)

The Private Sector Collaborative Forum held by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) reinforced the importance of public-private collaboration step up global defences against financial crime. Over three days (25-27 March), more than 200 participants, including representatives from international banking groups, Fintech companies, gatekeepers and civil society exchanged knowledge on the key challenges and ways forward in the fight against financial crimes. Participants agreed that public-private partnership should pave the way for the development of common roadmaps.
(Source: Source: https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/Fatfgeneral/pscf-march-2025.html)