The State, Trends and Forecast of Russian Crime in the Context of the Coronavirus Pandemic
This report was prepared for discussion at Towards a More Safe and Secure World Master Seminar: A Multi-Regional Project (October 27 – December 9, 2020), sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting globalisation and temporarily disorienting the criminal underworld. Following the…
The Evolution of Serious and Organised Crime: The Diversifying Nature of Criminal Operations in the Digital Age
Organised crime groups (OCGs) have evolved and adapted techniques designed to facilitate criminal activities, evade detection and enable criminal enterprise to endure. The National Crime Agency’s (NCA) national strategic assessment of serious and organised crime (SOC) 2020 reports that SOC continues to have more impact on UK citizens than any other national…
Combatting the Modern Mafia Phenomenon: Why the Italian 416-bis Criminal Code Must be Modified, Adapted to the Times and Applied to the European Context
The crime of association for mafia-type offences was introduced into the Italian criminal justice system by law on 13 September 1982. Provision n. 646 (better known as the law “Rognoni-La Torre” drawn from the name of its promoters) was included in the criminal code among the crimes against public order. Prior to…
The Forgotten Front Against Organised Crime
In July, news outlets around the world reported that online hackers unsuccessfully attempted to obtain confidential Covid-19 vaccination research from pharmaceutical companies and research centres in the UK. While the true identity of the group behind these cyber-attacks remains unknown, a source from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) revealed that the group…
Why Wildlife Traffickers are Escaping Justice
The criminal exploitation of our planet’s species is bringing many of them close to extinction. This is occurring to numerous animals and plants, either as entire species or in geographically-restricted populations. In recent years, tigers have been eradicated from their historical territories in several countries of Southeast Asia, whilst massive swathes of South America’s…
Organised Crime and the COVID-19 Outbreak: Repositioning the State
The ongoing debate surrounding the impact of Covid-19 on organised crime is incomplete. Whilst discussions have centred on the workings of mafia-type groups and other non-state actors, these are not the only important players in the field of organised crime. In recent decades we have seen many cases of high-ranking politicians and bureaucrats…
A Precursor Chemicals and Adulterant Approach to Tackling Crack Cocaine Trafficking in the United Kingdom
According to a recent article published in The Times titled “Britain is cocaine capital of Europe”, cocaine use in the UK has increased by nearly 300 per cent in less than a decade. Cocaine trafficking, distribution and use has a significant impact on societal health, crime and development. Crack cocaine…
Going Viral: Rio’s COVID-19 Gang Curfews as Seen from Twitter
Rio de Janeiro’s criminal groups have, from time to time, attracted international attention. The news of their anti-coronavirus measures has made international headlines once more. Drug-dealing gangs have forcibly imposed curfews on the city’s population, against the backdrop of perceived state inaction in managing the spread of COVID-19. This blog takes a closer look at the gangs’…
SECUR.PORT Workshop: A conceptual report and summary of activities
In May 2020, the Secur.Ports workshop brought together 16 practitioners and 9 researchers with expertise in the field of port policing, port security, organised crime and border control. Funded by the British Academy, the workshop was organised by the University of Essex and Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research (SHOC) at the…
Part 2: How COVID-19 is affecting County Lines
COVID-19 is already having an unprecedented impact on the UK illicit drug market, its dependent customers and County Lines in particular. Just as international drug traffickers rely on hiding in plain sight amongst high volumes of global trade, County Lines depend on free and low-profile movement within the mass population.…