Executive summary

• Author: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union (European Parliament)
• Pages: 7-9

Organised Property Crime in the EU

7

The problem

Organised Property Crime is a complex criminal phenomenon that contributes to a feeling of insecurity

amongst European citizens1. Crimes included in this broad category are continuously changing in

terms of organisation, targets, modi operandi, and perpetrators. This variety places Organised Property

Crime in a spectrum ranging from the most serious forms of crime committed by established organised

criminal groups to petty criminality. A legal definition does not exist. In 2011 Europol created the label

of Mobile Organised Criminal Groups (MOCGs) for strategic purposes, in order to collect and organise

information coming from MS. This is an ongoing yet promising process that clusters different variables

under the same label. If further advanced, this process

data and information related to both the scale of Organised Property Crime in Europe, and how this

phenomenon has changed and developed over time. Long-term, this process could lead to the

adoption of a shared legal definition of OPC among MS and facilitate international investigative and

judicial cooperation in tackling this form of crime.

Characteristics

The O

phenomenon within the EU. The following are some of the characteristics of this common

understanding.

High degree of mobility

For maximizing cross border opportunities and reducing the risks of investigation and prosecution in

a given national justice system. The choice for a new location is usually influenced by the presence of

stable contacts, friends or family.

Different group structures

At EU level 3 types of MOCGs were distinguished2:

1. The hierarchical structured MOCGs, characterised by internal systems of control and discipline,

e.g. groups under control of the thieves in law

2. Familial or clan based MOCGs

3. Loose and fluid networks of individuals coming together around a criminal project.

Prevalence of offenders of Eastern European Origin

The Eastern European origins of these groups are usually underlined. This is commonly true, but many

groups include a mix of nationalities. Generally, there is one dominant nationality, supported by

members of other nationalities.

1 As highlighted in the Europol webpage on Organised Property Crime: https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas-and-

trends/crime-areas/organised-property-crime.

2 These categories were identified by a Europol Expert during an interview on the 19th May 2020.