Europol Task Force Makes 280 Arrests in First Year

Europol announced Wednesday that an international task force has made 280 arrests in its first year combating a trend known as violence as a service, in which criminals recruit individuals online to carry out assaults and murders across Europe.

The unit, named GRIMM and launched in April 2025, involves police from Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It has identified more than 1,400 people linked to these networks, according to a Europol statement. "Violence is no longer confined to isolated acts or local dynamics. It is increasingly offered as a service: accessible, scalable and driven by online ecosystems that enable recruitment, coordination, and execution across borders," the statement said.

Recruitment primarily occurs through social media platforms such as Snapchat, Telegram and TikTok, as well as gaming environments, Europol's European Serious and Organised Crime Centre head Andy Kraag told Dutch television. Young people, including teenagers as young as 14, have been involved in cases including shootings in Denmark and Sweden.

Among recent arrests was a Dutch national accused of serving as a...