22 https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/13097/EU-Drug-Markets_Covid19-impact_final.pdf 23 https://www.europol.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/eu_drug_markets_covid19_impact_final.pdf But it is important to note that the use of technology doesn’t only refer to cybercrime. In today’s criminal spheres, many "real-world" crimes are facilitated in cyberspace. These are known as “cyber-enabled,” as opposed to “cyber-dependent,” crimes, which are those that take place entirely or almost entirely online. For instance, in the 2013 Azov Films case, police raided the home of the owner of a website selling child pornography. That raid resulted in the investigation and arrest of hundreds of adults in more than 50 countries, along with the discovery of more than 300 children who had been exploited. While the internet was an essential factor in the operation of the business, this was an example of a cyber-enabled crime since it could theoretically have taken place entirely offline. The technology involved simply made the business more lucrative and enabled it to spread globally. The leading technology for those engaged in cyber-enabled crime is social media platforms and applications, which are used by 46% of the world’s population and are now also the “command-and-control” networks of choice—for both transnational organized crime and terrorism. For criminals, technology assists in the same ways it does in most day-to-day activities: providing hassle- free communication across borders and thus allowing OCGs to move money around almost instantly, recruit personnel, keep teams informed, and implement plans on the ground. Two other factors are making business more efficient and lucrative: The decline of face-to-face transactions and the use of cash in favor of the darknet, social media, apps, and cryptocurrency. For instance, a 2020 Europol report on drug markets indicated that dead drops, which used to be prevalent mainly in Eastern European countries like Moldova and Ukraine, are now being used by darknet drug vendors in countries like Spain and Finland. 22 The rise of privacy-focused, decentralized marketplaces, as seen, in part, by the 27% rise in darknet cannabis sales in the early months of the COVID-19 crisis. 23 9