Journal title DE IUSTITIA ET IURE
Author/s Stefano Ferracuti
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 13 P. 145-157 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/ius2026oa22650
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This paper analyzes the evolution of criminal networks, highlighting the shift from previously conceived hierarchical structures to complex technological and relational platforms. High-Risk Criminal Networks (HRCNs) are no longer simple "gangs," but infrastructures that operate like service businesses, transcending the pyramid organizational model, acquiring specific skills, and infiltrating the legal economy. AI is not just a "tool," but a strategic accelerator that changes the DNA of crime, enabling individuals with low skills to manage complex scams, automating phishing, deepfakes, and fraudulent voice cloning, and promoting emotional disengagement. The actors in these networks must be assessed in relation to their functional position. HRCNs can function as proxies for destabilizing entities through hybrid threats and the use of networks as multipliers of disorder. Addressing the current situation requires an approach that integrates Network Analysis, Digital Forensics, and Clinical Criminology. This framework transforms the fight against crime from a simple repressive activity to a challenge of technological governance and international cooperation, as indicated by the EU AI Act.
Keywords: High-risk criminal networks;organized crime;HRCN;hybrid threats;AI;MUAI;disinformation;FIMI
Stefano Ferracuti, Reti criminali ad alto rischio e minacce ibride in "DE IUSTITIA ET IURE" 1/2026, pp 145-157, DOI: 10.3280/ius2026oa22650