France, April 5 -- The Hague-based crime-fighting body Europol has mapped 821 of the EU's "most threatening networks" involving some 50,000 people engaged in drug trafficking, fraud, migrant smuggling, human trafficking and organised property crime.

For the first time in history, Europol has gathered the information into one data centre for the judicial authorities of all 27 EU member states to access.

The result of the 12-month investigation commissioned by Brussels was presented in a 59-page report.

"Until now, every country had its own criminal oversight,"Belgian Justice Minister Paul van Tigchelt told a press conference on Friday.

"Now for the first time, we have a European oversight. A network of specialised prosecutors will be p...