The Evolving Nature of Transnational Crime

Transnational crime refers to criminal activities that cross national borders, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, cybercrime, financial fraud and many other crimes. These criminal networks are growing more sophisticated, harder to track and increasingly global in scope.

Traditionally driven by profit, transnational criminal organizations have evolved into something more dangerous.  According to Europol, some groups now act as proxies for hostile state actors, engaging in sabotage, cyberattacks and migrant smuggling. This is crime used as a weapon, not just for profit.   

Criminals are weaponizing advanced technologies including AI, cryptocurrencies, encrypted communication tools and more, to more easily operate across borders and avoid detection. It’s a perfect storm of technology innovation and global reach.  

To tackle these threats and stay ahead, law enforcement must adopt advanced investigative tools, strengthen international cooperation and develop more agile strategies.  

Common Types of Transnational Crime 

To grasp the complexity of today’s transnational crime threat, it’s important to look at the most common types — each presenting unique challenges for law enforcement.  

Sources: Nasdaq Global Financial Crime Report (2023), UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2022–2023), FBI IC3 Report, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), OECD/EUIPOUNEP, INTERPOL, McAfee and CSIS, The Hidden Costs of Cybercrime 

Below are some of the prevalent forms of transnational crime today: 

Drug Trafficking 

Global drug trafficking remains a major issue, driven by organized crime. These networks use advanced methods to produce illegal drugs, distribute them and launder the profits. For example, there are an estimated 10,000 drone incursions per year into the US from Mexico, many of which are tied to drug trafficking operations.  

Human Trafficking 

Criminal organizations continue to exploit vulnerable populations for forced labor and sexual exploitation through human trafficking. According to a recent European Commission report, sexual exploitation was the most common form of trafficking in the EU during 2021–2022. 

Migrant Smuggling  

Conflict zones and weak borders are fertile ground for smugglers. These groups often collaborate with other criminal organizations and use advanced technology such as satellite communications and drones to evade law enforcement. Migrants may also be coerced into other illicit activities, deepening their entanglement with transnational networks. 

Cybercrime 

Cybercriminals run sophisticated operations in the digital shadows. Ransomware, scams, fraud and cybercrime-as-a-service are all on the rise. Threat actors use encrypted messaging, crypto and the dark web to sell stolen data, exploits, stolen credentials, as well as to communicate and launch attacks that target governments, companies and critical infrastructure. 

Money Laundering 

Criminals exploit crypto, shell companies and decentralized finance to move money invisibly across borders. Professional laundering services – yes, that’s a thing – help criminal networks hide their illicit gains and bypass regulations using mixers, privacy coins and layered transactions. 

Counterfeiting  

Counterfeit goods, such as clothing, electronics, medicines and food products, are a growing threat.  Criminals are using e-commerce and social media to distribute these items while evading detection. These illicit operations often overlap with money laundering and corruption. 

Arms Smuggling  

The illegal manufacturing and trafficking of firearms is a growing threat that fuels organized crime, armed conflict, and terrorism. Criminal groups move weapons across borders using the same routes as drugs and human trafficking, often linking arms smuggling to other illicit markets. New challenges such as 3D-printed guns and untraceable “ghost weapons” make detection more difficult, while some networks also serve the interests of hostile state actors aiming to destabilize regions. 

Environmental Crimes 

Environmental crimes like illegal mining, logging, poaching, and wildlife trafficking are increasingly driven by organized crime groups. These activities often fund other criminal operations and rely on corruption and bribery to avoid enforcement. 

Factors Fueling Transnational Crime 

What’s driving the surge in transnational crime? It’s not just greed — it’s the convergence of globalization, economic disparity and technological innovation. These forces allow criminal networks to expand across borders, exploit vulnerable populations and move faster than law enforcement. Understanding these drivers is key to disrupting them. 

Globalization  

Globalization has enabled criminal networks to expand across borders with greater speed and efficiency. The rise of global trade, financial liberalization and digital communications has made it easier for these groups to move goods, money and people, while exploiting gaps in jurisdiction and regulation. 

Europol reports there are 821 criminal networks that currently operate in or impact all 27 EU member states. Sixty-eight percent of these networks include members from multiple nationalities, with ties to 112 nationalities overall. These groups are not isolated. They are interconnected, multinational ecosystems. 

Europol describes this as a shift toward “borderless” organized crime: criminal activity that spans multiple jurisdictions and touches many countries simultaneously. In fact, 76% of the most threatening networks are active in two to seven countries, indicating how geographic boundaries no longer limit the reach or structure of organized crime.  

Source: Europol

Real-world examples show how globalization and cross-border collaboration are reshaping transnational crime networks: 

1. Cross-Border Drug Trafficking: The rise of global trade has enabled drug cartels to expand their operations across multiple countries. For instance, Mexican cartels collaborate with European and Asian criminal groups to smuggle narcotics worldwide, exploiting gaps in international law enforcement.  

2. Cybercrime Groups: Globalization has enabled cybercriminal organizations like Russian-based Evil Corp to operate across borders with ease. These groups use advanced ransomware attacks to target businesses worldwide, exploiting global financial systems and cryptocurrencies to launder illicit funds while evading law enforcement. 

Economic Disparities  

Economic inequality is a major driver of transnational organized crime. In regions where poverty is widespread, legitimate employment is scarce and public services are weak, criminal networks exploit vulnerable populations — offering income, protection and a sense of belonging. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2023 World Drug Report highlights how social and economic disparities fuel and worsen drug-related challenges. Youth and marginalized communities are especially at risk of recruitment into trafficking, smuggling and cybercrime as a means of survival. Desperation also drives demand for black-market goods and services, from counterfeit medicine to illicit migration routes. 

These conditions are often compounded by weak governance, corruption and political instability. Criminal organizations and transnational gangs thrive in environments where institutions are under-resourced or compromised, using bribery and intimidation to bypass enforcement and extend their control over borders, trafficking routes and even local economies. Together, economic hardship and fragile state structures create fertile ground for organized crime to grow, entrenching cycles of exploitation and insecurity across borders. 

Technological Innovation  

Criminal organizations are fast adopters of emerging technologies like AI, cryptocurrencies, drones and messaging apps. These innovations not only enhance their efficiency but also overwhelm traditional law enforcement methods.  

The same AI technologies that help cyber security teams defend against cyber threats, are also weaponized by threat actors to automate attacks, exploit vulnerabilities and launch sophisticated phishing, ransomware and influence campaigns. GenAI is accelerating cybercrime, making it easier for criminals to execute, faster to scale and harder for law enforcement to trace.  

But it’s not just the attacks themselves that are developing — so are the ways criminals communicate and coordinate. Encrypted platforms, for example, pose a major challenge. The takedown of the ‘Ghost’ communication platform revealed how organized crime networks use encrypted tech to coordinate cross-border crimes like drug trafficking and murder. 

Challenges for Law Enforcement and Security 

As transnational crime becomes more complex and borderless, law enforcement and national security agencies are struggling to stay ahead and confront challenges that are legal, logistical and operational. 

Jurisdictional Challenges 

While crime crosses borders, the law usually doesn’t. Criminal networks often operate across borders, exploiting gaps between national legal systems. Laws, enforcement capabilities and investigative procedures vary widely from country to country, which makes it difficult to synchronize actions or build strong legal cases that span multiple jurisdictions. 

Even when agencies are aware of cross-border activity, they may face evidence sharing challenges, incompatible data standards, or limitations on conducting investigations outside their own territory. These barriers slow down operations, create blind spots and give criminals time to regroup or shift their activities elsewhere. 

Resource Allocation 

Law enforcement agencies often face resource constraints, hindering their ability to effectively combat sophisticated transnational criminal activities. Many police departments are under-resourced and understaffed, making it difficult to keep up with the scale and complexity of modern organized crime. In a recent Cognyte survey, 32% of law enforcement agencies cited a lack of skilled staff as a key operational challenge. High rates of officer fatigue, burnout and attrition further   exacerbate the problem, often forcing agencies to do more with less, and resulting in critical gaps in intelligence and case management.   

Global Response and Strategies to Transnational Crime  

Faced with mounting challenges, both global and national actors are shifting their approach — investing in closer coordination, smarter tools, closer coordination and stronger legal frameworks to keep pace with how transnational crime is changing. 

International Cooperation 

Global institutions like INTERPOL play a central role in fostering cross-border collaboration, facilitating intelligence sharing, joint operations, and the development of standardized procedures to address crimes spanning multiple nations. Within the European Union, regional agencies like Europol also drive cross-border efforts. Initiatives like Europol’s EMPACT (European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats) framework provide strategic direction and coordination for multi-agency responses. 

Technological Advancements  

The rise of transnational crime demands cutting edge technology, and law enforcement agencies are adopting investigative analytics solutions to provide broader visibility and faster insight. 

Drones, satellite imagery and operational intelligence solutions are increasingly used to enhance situational awareness — particularly in border regions. These tools help detect and track unauthorized crossings, monitor trafficking routes, and provide real-time intelligence to support field operations. 

At a strategic level, AI-powered decision intelligence platforms — combined with blockchain analytics and open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools — enable investigators to fuse data from multiple sources across jurisdictions. These capabilities help identify hidden networks, track illicit financial flows and connect seemingly unrelated activities across multiple crime areas. By integrating data from domestic agencies, foreign partners and open sources, investigators can construct a unified intelligence picture of transnational criminal organizations operating across borders and domains. 

Policy Development 

Governments are also working to strengthen legal frameworks, close regulatory gaps and ensure better alignment with international standards. From updating cybercrime laws to regulating cryptocurrencies, policy reform is critical for keeping pace with rapidly evolving threats. Equally important is investing in training and equipping law enforcement personnel with the skills and tools needed to confront today’s global crime.  

Contact Cognyte to explore how advanced investigative solutions support the fight against transnational crime.