An organized crime network made up of Romanian citizens, which operated several thefts from ATMs on the territory of Great Britain, was dismantled with the help of artificial intelligence. During the investigation, the police discovered, among other things, a swimming pool inscribed with an obscene message addressed to the police.
According to The Observer, Bedfordshire Police used advanced data analysis software to match information from multiple sources, including surveillance footage, phone records, call records and documents, to identify the group’s members and how it operated.
Investigators say the gang managed to steal around £700,000 from 51 locations in night-time operations. In all, nine people were charged, and the evidence gathered was strong enough that all the defendants pleaded guilty. They were sentenced to cumulative sentences of over 20 years in prison.
Artificial intelligence allowed the rapid analysis of thousands of messages, calls and recordings, as well as the automatic translation of conversations held in Romanian, including those using slang. Without this technology, the investigation would have required much more time and resources, authorities say.
“Without these types of tools, I’m not sure we would have been able to bring charges against all the suspects”said the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire, highlighting the effectiveness of the new digital analysis methods.
Pool with obscene message to the police
During the investigations also carried out in Romania, the British police discovered a heavily secured property, where several unusual elements were identified, including a swimming pool on the bottom of which was written an obscene message addressed to the police.
Also, luxury goods were confiscated, including high-value cars.
The British authorities claim that the use of artificial intelligence has significantly reduced the duration of the investigation, allowing it to be completed in just a few weeks, compared to months or even years in the case of traditional methods.
