Eurojust supported dozens of cases that presented issues related to the COVID-19 crisis. Travel restrictions and risks continued to present challenges to judicial cooperation. Organised crime groups have adapted quickly to changing environments and to technological progress, and they have managed to profit from the circumstances of the pandemic in various areas. Coordinated action by law enforcement and judicial actors can, however, stop crimes such as ransomware attacks against hospitals.
Fraud involving sale of facemasks halted thanks to Eurojust support
Crime: An OCG, which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic had already been illegally offering fictitious products for sale online, ran an online scam selling face masks from 2020 onwards. The group set up fake websites resembling the names of legally operating wholesale companies. Deliveries of ordered goods never took place, and the proceedings of the fake sales were subsequently laundered through a chain of bank accounts controlled by the OCG. Companies in at least 20 countries were defrauded of approximately EUR 1 million.
Action: During a joint action day conducted on 10 August 2021, 34 searches took place across Romania, Ireland and the Netherlands. In total, 23 suspects were charged, 10 of whom have been detained.
Result: The fake sales were stopped as a result of the action day.
Eurojust's Role: Eurojust coordinated the judicial cooperation in view of the searches and supported the execution of several judicial cooperation instruments.
Eurojust is an agency of the European Union