193 cybercrims arrested, accused of plotting ‘violence-as-a-service’
Summary
Europol-led investigators have arrested 193 suspects across Europe in a six-month operation tackling so-called “violence-as-a-service” — networks that recruit, groom or coerce minors and others to carry out real-world attacks, including murder, intimidation and torture. The probe, OTF GRIMM, began in April and involved police from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, Europol specialists and online service providers.
The arrests include perpetrators, facilitators, recruiters and instigators. Police cite several prevented and alleged violent incidents — from shootings to planned murders — and link many suspects to the loosely knit cybercrime collective known as The Com and its IRL subgroups. Law enforcement framed the raids as a response to a growing trend of cyber-enabled physical violence across Europe.
Key Points
- Operation: Europol’s Operational Taskforce (OTF) GRIMM began in April and ran for six months, targeting “violence-as-a-service” networks.
- Arrests: 193 people detained — including 63 alleged perpetrators, 40 enablers, 84 recruiters and 6 instigators (five labelled high-value targets).
- Minors involved: Investigations uncovered recruitment and grooming of teenagers to carry out violent crimes, including contract killings.
- Notable incidents: Suspects linked to a March shooting in Oosterhout (Netherlands), an attempted murder in Tamm (Germany) and planned killings in Spain were arrested; firearms and ammunition were seized in some raids.
- Organised groups: Many suspects are tied to “The Com” and IRL Com subgroups, which blend cybercrime (SIM swapping, extortion) with real-world violence and swatting-for-hire services.
- High-profile context: The arrests follow earlier violent cases such as the kidnapping of Ledger co-founder David Balland and public warnings from the FBI about IRL recruitment of teens.
- Trend: Security researchers report a marked increase in cybercrime that escalates to physical violence across Europe, prompting multinational policing responses.
Why should I read this?
Because this isn’t just another cyber-arrest story — it’s about criminals turning the internet into a marketplace for real-world violence and using kids to do the dirty work. If you care about online safety, youth radicalisation, or how cybercrime now spills into physical harm, this explains how law enforcement is trying to fight back and why it matters to everyone, not just security pros.
Author style
Punchy: Big, cross-border takedown that shines a light on a terrifying evolution in cybercrime. Read the detail if you want to understand how online grooming, encrypted apps and organised hacking crews are being used to commission real-life attacks — and what authorities are actually doing about it.
Source
Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/12/08/european_cops_arrest_193/