Expert Available: How organized crime is harnessing AI, cryptocurrencies and the Metaverse

Expert Available: How organized crime is harnessing AI, cryptocurrencies and the Metaverse

October 22, 2025

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As organized crime rapidly evolves in the digital age, traditional criminal syndicates are no longer confined to analog turf wars. Queen's University expert Antonio Nicaso offers an exclusive, in-depth look at how mafias and other criminal networks in Italy, Mexico, and Brazil are fusing old-school tactics with cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, the Metaverse, and drones.

Nicaso, director of the Magna Grecia Foundation's Cybercrime Research Center in Italy and an internationally-acclaimed expert on organized crime, reveals that mafia groups now employ AI engineers to create encrypted communications and mine cryptocurrencies, fueling sophisticated dark web operations. Latin American groups such as PCC and Comando Vermelho have embraced fintech innovations to launder money and invest illicit funds, while criminal factions like Mexico's CJNG are conducting cyberattacks on government security systems, marking a troubling escalation in cyber infiltration.

Nicaso's groundbreaking research highlights how these autonomous networks optimize drug trafficking routes and diversify illegal activities by blending analog territorial control with advanced digital strategies - transforming organized crime into a complex, tech-savvy global threat.

With more than 30 published books, bestselling titles, and a wealth of experience consulting governments and law enforcement worldwide, Antonio Nicaso is uniquely positioned to discuss:

• The fusion of traditional criminal methods with AI and blockchain tech
• The role of cryptocurrencies and NFTs in money laundering and criminal financing
• Emerging digital platforms like the Metaverse as new fronts for illicit activity
• The cyber capabilities of Latin American drug cartels and their implications for security

To interview Antonio Nicaso, contact:

Andrew Carroll, Media Relations Officer [email protected] 613-876-8059