The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, better known as Europol, announced the results of something called Operation GRIMM. Operation GRIMM is a task force that’s focused on combating this new trend called Violence as a Service. This is when someone outsources illegal activities, like vandalism, drug trafficking, or even a murder. And the ones hired to carry out these task are typically young adults-some of them are as young as 14 years old. Over the span of six months, and across eleven different countries, 193 people have been arrested for VaaS involvement.

I’m going to break down how this works, because this entire Violence as a Service thing is pretty sophisticated.

At the very top, you've got what they call the instigator, and this is the person with the money and the motive. These people want someone hurt, intimidated or killed. Could be a business rival, maybe it's gang related, or it's personal-doesn't really matter. The point is, they don’t want to do it themselves. So what they do is reach out to a recruiter, and the recruiter's whole job is to find someone expendable. Someone desperate or wanting quick cash. Someone not typically on law enforcement radar. Now let’s think about who’s typically invisible to law enforcement. Who has no criminal record, no history, nothing that's going to pop out on any kind of background check?

The answer is teenagers. Europol dropped a crazy stat that made me pause when I read it. It said “minors are now involved in over 70 percent of organized criminal markets”. We're talking violence, drug trafficking, cyberattacks, fraud, all of it. 70% of all of that involves minors in some form or fashion.

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Now back to today’s story!

Okay, but how are they finding these kids? Well, these recruiters are everywhere. They're on social media, they're on Discord, they're on all the gaming platforms, they're even on Telegram and Signal and basically any encrypted messaging app you can think of. And they're not just sliding into these kids DMs, like "hey, you wanna commit a felony for some cash?" It’s not that blunt. 

They take their time and integrate themselves in gaming chatrooms and online communities that teenagers hang out in. They slowly gamify the whole thing. They make it feel like you're joining something exclusive and edgy. They make these teenagers feel like they’re part of a crew. And we all know how strong the desire to “belong” is amongst adolescents. Peer pressure is sky high, and everyone just wants to fit in. And the whole thing is designed to be that way.

The recruiter sets you up to do small stuff first. You run a package somewhere, you hold onto something for a few days, you pass along a message. Easy money, no big deal. Next, you’re hired to throw a rock through a window, trash and vandalize a car, punch a specific person as they leave work. And then the asks get bigger. And more dangerous. And more violent. 

And by the time you realize what you actually signed up for and get the sense that you’re in over your head, you’re trapped. Because they've got your personal information now. They know everything you’ve done.  They know where your family lives. And now, backing out isn't really an option anymore, because the same people who hired you, will absolutely turn on you if you try to walk away. This is the trap! 

Back in July of 2025, six people got arrested in Spain while they were actively planning a murder, one of the six was under 18 years old, a minor. Police found firearms and ammunition.

And then there's Denmark, where seven people between the ages of 14 and 26 got arrested for using encrypted messaging apps to hire other teenagers to carry out contract killings. So you've got teenagers remote hiring other teenagers for murder.

This isn't exactly organized crime the way we usually think about it. It’s distributed, franchised, like an algorithm-optimized system for violence. And what it all runs on is desperate kids who want to be cool or don't see any other options.

Now most of us aren't getting recruited for contract killings. At least, I hope. And please, don’t be the one looking to hire anyone either.

But in all seriousness, this recruitment playbook works everywhere. The grooming tactics, the slow escalation, and the sense of belonging. They sell you before they own you; this pattern shows up in money mule recruitment, it shows up in fraud rings, and it shows up in a number of different scams. 

Europol said something in their report that really stuck with me. They said there appears to be "a ready supply of individuals willing to be recruited to commit violent acts".

A ready supply. That's the part that should alarm you. It's not so that these criminal networks are forcing kids into this against their will. It's that they're finding kids who are looking for it, who are willing. So talk to your kids about who's messaging them. What "opportunities" are being offered. What groups they're part of online. Because the wolves are definitely on the prowl.

dontgetgot