Organised crime produces significant amounts of illicit revenue and proceeds globally and in Europe. This report is part of the series of action oriented research on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and Asset Recovery that the European Union and UNICRI are launching to shed light on the significant damage being caused to States as a result of unchecked IFFs, and on the significant value of prioritising the capture of illicitly-obtained assets linked to such IFFs.

Since 2012, Mali has faced significant instability, increasing episodes of violence and ongoing tensions generated by separate but interlinked issues, including scarcity of resources, longstanding intercommunal tensions, poor governance and weak provision of services. In such a context, various armed and terrorist groups have established their presence in Mali, initially in the north of the country but with a clear shift towards the centre and the south in recent years.

Risks and technology options 

The Report describes how terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups are trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their activities and jeopardize the efficacy and credibility of response measures by governments. 

The COVID-19 crisis has amplified misinformation and disinformation on social media and has created new opportunities for violent non-state actors.  

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FOREWORD by Henrike Trautmann, Acting Director for the Neighbourhood South, DG NEAR, European Commission and Antonia Marie De Meo, Director of UNICRI                                                                                    

“This issue of the Magazine Freedom From Fear (F3) The day we discovered our fragility and our strength addresses the collateral effects of COVID-19 impacting criminal justice, namely, the growing influence of organized crime and terrorism and the rise of violence against and exploitation of women and children. I wish to commend all the authors and the Ghent University for exhibiting their commitment to research and innovation during these challenging times.

The potential of the Artificial Intelligence for law enforcement, legal professionals, the court system and even the penal system to augment human capabilities is enormous. However, we need to truly test the limits of our creativity and innovation to overcome the challenges that come with these technologies, as well as to develop entirely new approaches, standards and metrics that will be necessitated by them.

This report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for law enforcement is the most recent product of the collaboration on AI between the Innovation Centre of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and UNICRI's Centre for AI and Robotics. Together we have created a unique forum for law enforcement to discuss advancements in AI, as well as the impacts of using this technology to fight crime.