Since 2016, the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN) has been conducting research to highlight the importance of the link between domestic burglaries and organised crime. As one of the partners of the project, Europol cooperated with the KFN by providing interviews, expertise and carrying out comprehensive analyses of cases in this particular crime area.

On 25 April, the results of the study were presented at a conference in Hannover, Germany. The study, which is partly funded by the EU Internal Security Fund, shows that groups of perpetrators are composed in different ways:

loose networks;

flat-structured Mobile Organised Crime Groups (MOCGs);

MOCGs with a strict hierarchy;

family clans;

mafia-type structures, with particular reference to Georgian groups (albeit, more rarely).

The study clearly highlights that the perpetrators of organised burglaries come from the organised crime area and are active all over the world. Despite a decrease in the number of cases in the area of domestic burglary in Germany, cross-border organised property crime continues to be present in Europe and, therefore, international police cooperation needs to be further promoted and embedded to tackle the groups behind these crimes.

At the conference, Europol’s Deputy Executive Director, Oldřich Martinů, reported on Europol’s efforts and achievements in this field of crime. In his statement during the event, Mr Martinů emphasised the efforts being made at EU-level to continue providing EU Member States with the best possible support in combating this international crime.

The study is available in both English and German.