The impact of crimes on the war against Global Pandemic

Abstract

The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is having profound impacts on society and the economy, and it will also influence and shape organized crime and illicit markets. The institutional response to the pandemic and the consequent reshaping of socio-economic norms worldwide will affect how criminal networks operate, as well as the nature of law-enforcement responses to them.

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Topic
“The impact of crimes on the war against Global Pandemic”
INTRODUCTION
The fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is having profound impacts on society and the economy,
and it will also influence and shape organized crime and illicit markets. The institutional
response to the pandemic and the consequent reshaping of socio-economic norms worldwide will
affect how criminal networks operate, as well as the nature of law-enforcement responses to
them.
At these early stages of the pandemic, these impacts may be difficult to fully understand, and
appropriate responses difficult to gauge. What seems clear, however, is that the pandemic has
reduced some organized-criminal activities while simultaneously providing opportunities for new
ones, and these changes in the organized-criminal economy could have long-term consequences.
The realignment of state resources – in particular police services in responding to the virus – and
the role of criminal groups, may have important influences on how such state services and
groups evolve in the months to come. Vulnerable groups, such as people who use drugs or
victims of human trafficking, may be particularly hard hit by the impact of the virus.
This brief is a result of information garnered from our networks and civil-society partners in the
field, and draws from a comprehensive review of reporting on the impact of the coronavirus on
criminal groups and illicit markets.
I’ll explain in Some Point….. Like…
HOW CRIMINALS PROFIT FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
During this unprecedented crisis, governments across Europe are intensifying their efforts to
combat the global spread of the coronavirus by enacting various measures to support public
health systems, safeguard the economy and to ensure public order and safety.
A number of these measures have a significant impact on the serious and organized crime
landscape. Criminals have been quick to seize opportunities to exploit the crisis by adapting their

moody operandi or engaging in new criminal activities. Factors that prompt changes in crime and
terrorism include:
High demand for certain goods, protective gear and pharmaceutical products;
Decreased mobility and flow of people across and into the EU;
Citizens remain at home and are increasingly teleworking, relying on digital solutions;
Limitations to public life will make some criminal activities less visible and displace
them to home or online settings;
Increased anxiety and fear that may create vulnerability to exploitation;
Decreased supply of certain illicit goods in the EU.
Building upon information provided by EU Member States and in-house expertise, Europol has
published today a situational report analyzing the current developments which fall into four main
crime areas:
CYBERCRIME
The number of cyberattacks against organizations and individuals is significant and is expected
to increase. Criminals have used the COVID-19 crisis to carry out social engineering attacks
themed around the pandemic to distribute various malware packages.
Cybercriminals are also likely to seek to exploit an increasing number of attack vectors as a
greater number of employers institute telework and allow connections to their organizations’
systems.
FRAUD
Fraudsters have been very quick to adapt well-known fraud schemes to capitalize on the
anxieties and fears of victims throughout the crisis. These include various types of adapted
versions of telephone fraud schemes, supply scams and decontamination scams. A large number
of new or adapted fraud schemes can be expected to emerge over the coming weeks are
fraudsters will attempt to capitalize further on the anxieties of people across Europe.

COUNTERFEIT AND SUBSTANDARD GOODS
The sale of counterfeit healthcare and sanitary products as well as personal protective equipment
and counterfeit pharmaceutical products has increased manifold since the outbreak of the crisis.
There is a risk that counterfeiters will use shortages in the supply of some goods to increasingly
provide counterfeit alternatives both on- and offline.
ORGANISED PROPERTY CRIME
Various types of schemes involving thefts \have been adapted by criminals to exploit the current
situation. This includes the well-known scams involving the impersonation of representatives of
public authorities. Commercial premises and medical facilities are expected to be increasingly
targeted for organized burglaries.
Despite the introduction of further quarantine measures throughout Europe, the crime threat
remains dynamic and new or adapted types of criminal activities will continue to emerge during
the crisis and in its aftermath.
Pakistan ill-equipped to fight COVID-19: Healthcare workers
Pakistan has more than 2,600 cases of infection and 40 deaths from the new coronavirus, with
many cities under lockdown and the government urging social distancing. But healthcare
workers are calling on the government to do more to help them fight the virus.
They say they have not been provided with enough protective equipment in already overcrowded
and under-resourced hospitals, and their lives are being placed at risk. Al Jazeera's Charles
Stratford reports.
Like elsewhere, the media in Pakistan is being tested on how to report the outbreak and impact of
Covid-19, a phenomenon overwhelming state and society alike. Already one of the most difficult
places on the planet to practice journalism in the pre-outbreak period due to its restrictive free
speech environment and impunity of crimes against journalists, new challenges abound for
Pakistani media in meeting its mandate of being the guardian of public interest on reporting
Covid-19. From having to deal with new health-related safety issues for journalists in the
workplace and risky field reporting environments to facing increasing mobility restrictions in the
face of lockdowns; and from discovering a lack of reporters and editors who understand public

health issues or access to health experts to generate reliable information, to facing challenges in
generating adequate specialist content, the media in Pakistan is severely challenged
professionally, but responding to the challenges.
Thank you Mam!