The Internet has become a major tool in European organised crime, which as well as cybercrime uses it for drugs and human trafficking and money laundering, Europol's top official said Wednesday.

Although cyber- and computer-related crime have always been around, there has been a marked increase over the last two years in criminal groups turning to the Web to commit crimes regarded as "more traditional", Europol director Rob Wainwright said.

"Using the Internet has become much more mainstream," Wainwright said at the release of the policing body's bi-annual organised crime threat assessment (OCTA).

"It has now become the principle facilitator for organised crime."

The OCTA report said: "In addition to the high-tech crimes of cybercrime, payment card fraud, the distribution of child abuse material and audio visual piracy, extensive use of the Internet now also underpins illicit drug synthesis, extraction and distribution."

The Web was also extensively used to recruit human trafficking victims, facilitate illegal immigration, supply counterfeit commodities, traffick in endangered species and in many other criminal activities, the report said.

"It was also widely used as a secure communication and money laundering tool by criminals," it added.

Organised crime groups derived more than 1.5 billion euros from payment card fraud in the EU, the report estimated.

Europol's 37-page report looked at the development of organised crime over the last 24 months.

The report, which will go to justice and home affairs ministries around the EU, will help governments set crime-fighting priorities for the next two years, Wainwright said.