Europol’s OTF GRIMM Arrests Nearly 200 in Crackdown on “Violence-as-a-Service” Crime Networks

Nearly 200 people — including several minors linked to murder attempts — have been taken into custody over the past six months under Europol’s Operational Taskforce (OTF) GRIMM. The initiative focuses on dismantling what authorities describe as “violence-as-a-service” networks, where criminal groups lure young people online to execute contract killings and other violent attacks.

According to Europol, “These individuals are groomed or coerced into committing a range of violent crimes, from acts of intimidation and torture to murder,” the agency said on Monday.

Launched in April, OTF GRIMM brings together specialists from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and Europol, alongside several online platforms.

In its first half-year, the taskforce reported arresting 63 suspects accused of planning or committing violent offenses, 40 individuals believed to be “enablers” of violence-for-hire operations, 84 recruiters, and six alleged “instigators.” Five of these instigators have been identified by investigators as “high-value targets.” Among those apprehended were three individuals in Sweden and Germany suspected of fatally shooting three victims on March 28 in Oosterhout, the Netherlands.

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