Germany's finance, interior and justice ministries announced a package to modernise Customs and the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) and to deploy artificial intelligence against organised crime. The plan expands legal powers, increases staffing, creates joint data-analysis centres and enables faster seizure of suspected illicit assets. Officials say reciprocal data access and AI will help identify and prosecute perpetrators more quickly.
Germany to Harness AI and Boost Security Agencies in Major Crackdown on Organised Crime
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt gives a statement to the press, as he visits a special unit of the law enforcement agency BKA, in Berlin, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben
Germany's finance, interior and justice ministries have unveiled a coordinated plan to modernise key security agencies and deploy artificial intelligence to disrupt organised crime, with a particular focus on financial offences, money laundering and drug trafficking.
What the package includes
The programme targets upgrades to German Customs and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) by expanding legal authorities, improving technical capabilities and increasing staffing. Officials say the measures will enable faster seizure of assets suspected to come from illicit activity, such as cash, luxury cars and properties.
Data sharing and joint teams
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the BKA will receive additional personnel, broader powers and stronger enforcement authority. The plan also calls for joint data-analysis centres and combined investigation teams between Customs and the BKA to better detect and dismantle money laundering networks and narcotics operations.
AI to speed investigations
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said Customs and the BKA will be able to access each other’s data and make use of artificial intelligence to identify suspects and sift through large volumes of information more quickly. The ministries framed the move as striking where organised crime hurts most: the perpetrators' money.
Role of federal and state forces
Under Germany's federal system, local police handle routine policing and most criminal investigations according to laws set by each of the 16 federal states, while federal police are responsible for border, rail and aviation security. The BKA acts as the federal investigative agency for serious and organised crime, coordinating complex cases with national and transnational dimensions.
Scope of the problem
The BKA estimates organised crime inflicted an economic loss of around €2.64 billion in 2024. In that year, illegal drug trafficking represented 40% of organised crime proceedings (259 of 650 cases), and money laundering featured in 146 cases, with an associated volume of roughly €230 million.
Officials' emphasis
"We are ensuring that the investigating authorities hit the perpetrators where it hurts most: their money," Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig added that organised crime undermines trust in the rule of law and must be countered with swift identification, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators.
The ministries say the measures will strengthen cross-agency cooperation and technical capacity to pursue criminals across state and international borders while modernising enforcement tools.
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