Global Scans · Crime · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Crime is morphing away from traditional methods to more sophisticated technological approaches. A decline of traditional hierarchical criminal groups and networks will be accompanied by the expansion of a virtual criminal underground made up of individual criminal entrepreneurs. At the same time, forward-looking agencies are equipping themselves with smart technologies to outfox the criminals. Keep up to date with crime changes below.

• [New] Convergence of APTs and Cybercrime: The line between nation-state actors and criminal gangs will blur as they share infrastructure and tactics, accelerating the scale and sophistication of global attacks. Breached Company
• [New] 2026 could see an unprecedented rate of drone adoption by foreign and domestic terrorist actors. The Soufan Center
• [New] In 2026, terrorist groups in conflict hotspots will continue refining and learning how best to deploy drones for their missions and how to circumvent drone countermeasures implemented by overstretched security institutions across the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. The Soufan Center
• [New] The FCA has made clear with the implementation of the UK failure to prevent fraud offence that it expects regulated firms to embed fraud protection into their financial crime framework. Solicitors journal
• [New] In 2026, AI will continue to support AML programs with continuous learning, adaptive risk models, and workflow support with meaningful insights into criminal networks. Sumsub
• [New] In 2026 is going to accelerate the usage of AI for nefarious purposes, and the financial services industry is going to have to ramp up its adoption and use cases at unprecedented levels to not fall further behind in the financial crime battle. FinTech Profile
• [New] Agentic AI will help to support financial crime compliance in 2026. FStech
• [New] In 2026, higher education law enforcement will prioritize belonging-driven policing, AI-enhanced security infrastructure, rigorous Clery Act compliance, and interdisciplinary workforce training to strengthen campus safety and institutional resilience. Campus Safety Magazine
• [New] In 2026, the campus police officer profile will evolve from traditional enforcement specialist to interdisciplinary safety professional, capable of balancing protection, service, communication, and emotional intelligence with technical proficiency and tactical readiness. Campus Safety Magazine
• [New] Around the world, sand mining has increased flood risks in Uganda, destabilised and rerouted major rivers in India, and sparked a boom of deadly organised crime across Asia. Daily Mail
• [New] The 10-Hellfire configuration will likely become standard for high-value target missions, with possible integration of heavier munitions (500 lb JDAMs) for hardened facilities, and expanded CIA drone operations throughout Latin America against designated terrorist organizations. Drone Warfare
• [New] The Trump administration is embarking on an expansive effort to root out what it sees as rampant left-wing domestic terrorism, raising concerns among some security experts and lawmakers that broad categories of Americans' political speech could come under surveillance. State and Federal Communications
• [New] Over the course of in 2026, there could be a major uptick in left-wing terrorism domestically aimed at government and immigration enforcement targets. The Soufan Center
• [New] In 2026, AI will test police leadership more than any new technology in decades. Police1
• [New] As policing enters 2026, artificial intelligence will no longer be an emerging issue, it will be a defining leadership test. Police1
• [New] Serbia will become a paradigmatic example for others of what a country looks like when an authoritarian government, a neoliberal economy, and a criminal war past are combined. The Geopost
• [New] US Military Action in Venezuela: A prominent new addition to the 2026 survey involves potential U.S. military operations targeting transnational criminal groups, which could escalate to direct strikes and destabilize the Maduro government. @mathrubhumi
• [New] The question of crime and migration from the ever-deteriorating situation in Haiti, with which the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola, will continue to be a problem. IndraStra Global
• [New] In some regions of Mexico, drug-related violence and organized crime have created a climate of fear and insecurity, leading many to flee their homes in search of safety. S.Univ-dschang
• [New] Terrorist groups and organized crime, already using cheap drones, could scale up attacks on power grids, water supplies, or prisons using swarms of AI-guided quadcopters, technology being used right now on Ukrainian battlefields. Vice
• [New] Nation-state and criminal actors will target energy, healthcare, and transportation systems with cyber-physical impacts, turning outages and disruptions into strategic weapons. Channel Insider
• [New] Europe's top policing agency has issued a stark warning about the future of crime, cautioning that autonomous drones, vehicles and even humanoid robots could be hijacked by criminals and terrorists within the next decade. News Karnataka

Last updated: 10 January 2026