Garda Commissioner warns children being lured into crime through social media and online gaming

At a gathering at the headquarters of the EU police agency, Europol, police bosses from 53 countries and 13 international organisations called for 'stronger preventative measures' to protect young people. File picture: Europol

More than 400 police chiefs, including Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly, have warned that children are being "increasingly targeted and lured" through social media and online gaming into criminality.

At a gathering at the headquarters of the EU police agency, Europol, police bosses from 53 countries and 13 international organisations called for “stronger preventative measures” to protect young people.

Mr Kelly, who started in the job this month, was among those attending the European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC) 2025 at the Hague, in the Netherlands.

Catherine De Bolle, Europol executive director, told attendees: “The social and economic costs of organised crime are simply too high, so politically, economically, and socially damaging that no single country or organisation, however powerful, can confront them alone.

“That is why the law enforcement community must redouble its efforts to modernise, strengthen, and deepen international police co-operation.” 

Two panels, building on expert workshops held prior, highlighted how criminals are exploiting digital technologies in both violent and financial crime, and suggested how these threats could be addressed internationally.

In a Europol statement, the police chiefs said that minors were “increasingly drawn into criminal networks”.

It said: “Law enforcement experts warned that minors are increasingly targeted and lured through online gaming, social media, and encrypted channels. The phenomenon includes Violence-as-a-Service, where acts of intimidation or assault can be contracted online.” 

This phenomenon has emerged, in particular, in many of the Nordic countries as well as Netherlands and Belgium, with Germany and France also affected.

The statement said police chiefs emphasised the need for:

• Centralised, specialised investigative structures to track recruiters, brokers, and enablers across borders;
• Stronger preventive measures to protect vulnerable youths online, including awareness campaigns, school engagement, and ethical guidance in digital spaces;
• Enhanced international co-operation and data sharing, supported by AI and data science, to identify criminal networks faster;
• Regulatory obligation for gaming platforms and social media to prevent harmful content involving minors, and to impose a minimum age for admission to risk-associated platforms and to co-operate with law enforcement when necessary.

A second panel examined how organised crime was exploiting digital financial services, such as virtual IBANs, decentralised finance platforms, crypto assets and fintech tools.

It said key challenges include how criminal techniques were “outpacing” law enforcement’s capacity to investigate. There was also a “shortage of specialists and high-cost investigative tools” for blockchain and crypto tracing.

The statement said police chiefs discussed practical solutions, such as:

• Expanding joint investigative “sprints” to trace and seize criminal assets across borders;
• Pooling resources for specialised investigative tools for crypto and blockchain analysis, as well as boosting investment in training;
• Treating money laundering as a standalone criminal offence to speed prosecutions, accepting reasonably suspicion of the provenance of the funds;
• Strengthening public–private partnerships to improve information sharing and early warning systems.
• Strengthening Europe’s security architecture