World

Europol's latest report on unmanned systems and robotics is a stark warning about how crime is transforming in Europe. The document does not address a distant future, but a reality that is already taking shape and is expected to accelerate significantly in the next decade.
According to Europol, crime is becoming increasingly anonymous, more automated and more physically distant from its perpetrators. This is putting pressure on the traditional law enforcement model, which has historically been built on physical presence, direct identification and territorial control.
Unlike in the past, technology is no longer simply an auxiliary tool for crime. Today, aerial drones, ground robots and autonomous maritime vehicles are becoming active actors in criminal activity. These systems can operate remotely, be programmed for repetitive actions and require very little human intervention.
As a result, crime can be planned and carried out without the physical presence of the perpetrator at the scene. This makes identifying those responsible and prosecuting them much more difficult, increasing the risk of impunity.
Europol stresses that societies are moving from a phase where crime uses technology, to a reality where crime occurs within an automated environment. Smart cities, digital infrastructure, automated logistics and driverless transport create new criminal spaces, where the line between civilian and criminal use is becoming increasingly blurred.
One of the most worrying developments in the report is the emergence of what Europol calls “crime-at-a-distance”, or crime at a distance. This model represents a direct evolution of “crime-as-a-service”, where criminal services are provided in a fragmented and decentralized manner.
According to the report, criminal groups are using cheap, commercial and easily accessible drones for intelligence gathering, smuggling and logistical support. The main advantage is the removal of the perpetrator from the scene of the crime, significantly increasing anonymity and making intervention by the authorities more complicated.
The report also highlights a structural imbalance between crime and the state, where criminal groups are able to quickly and cheaply acquire commercial technologies, without facing legal restrictions or liability. 
Meanwhile, law enforcement institutions operate within a slow regulatory framework, accompanied by lengthy procurement procedures, public oversight and the need for cross-border coordination. This constant contrast gives criminal actors a technological advantage, putting the state in a position of reaction rather than prevention.
Europol describes scenarios where criminal networks employ drone operators to provide real-time information on police movements, to support attacks on rival groups or to smuggle drugs and illegal goods across borders. There are cases where independent operators sell their services online, flying drones on behalf of third parties, remotely.
The report also cites concrete examples of the growing sophistication of organized crime, including the seizure of an unmanned narcotics submarine, equipped with a Starlink satellite dish, off the coast of Colombia. This case clearly illustrates that unmanned systems are no longer limited to the air, but are also extending to maritime environments.
While drone smuggling is already widespread, Europol warns that the most serious and long-term threat is intelligence gathering. The ability of these systems to conduct reconnaissance is difficult to detect, can be used continuously and offers strategic value to criminal, terrorist or hybrid actors.
In this sense, drones are no longer simply means of transport, but intelligence platforms that can support long-term and sophisticated operations, creating sustained risks to public security.
The report highlights that these developments have been accelerated by the circulation of technical knowledge, especially in the context of modern conflicts. Russia's war in Ukraine has contributed to the proliferation of drone-building and modification capabilities, while technologies such as 3D printing, cryptocurrencies and encrypted communications have made it easier to evade detection by authorities.
According to Europol, these factors have created an increasingly self-sustaining criminal ecosystem, where technology, anonymity and physical distance combine to directly challenge traditional law enforcement capabilities.