The Informer
The Informer blog provides a platform for academics, policymakers and practitioners to discuss their work and research and to share their opinions on organised crime.
We collaborate with the European Consortium for Political Research's Standing Group on Organised Crime (ECPR-SGOC), one of the standing groups of the ECPR. The editorial board includes representatives from the University of Bath, Oxford University, the Institute of Advanced Studies of the University of Sao Paulo, Sofia University and Flinders University.
11 October, 2018
Valentina Butera
In January 2018, Operation Stige led to the arrest of 169 individuals across Italy and Germany on charges including participation in a mafia-type association, money laundering, extortion, unfair...
3 October, 2018
Adrian Leiva
Unlike more conventional forms of crime, the success of organised criminal groups depends largely on their ability to identify and recruit co-offenders. Due to the everchanging nature of illicit...
24 September, 2018
Guido Palazzo
On the 4th of February 1991, Mario Tamburrino was unloading barrels from his truck when a life-changing accident occurred: the truck driver was transporting 571 industrial barrels with toxic waste...
14 September, 2018
Daniel White
It is argued the world has been fundamentally changed by forces of globalisation that are driven by neoliberal, ‘Washington consensus’ free-market capitalism. This shift is so profound, it is said,...
9 September, 2018
Fabio Armao
The spread of youth gangs has accompanied the origin and development of large industrialised cities, starting in countries like the US. In recent decades, however, the phenomenon has undergone...
29 August, 2018
María Teresa Martínez
Graphic crime scenes accompanied by figures depicting unprecedented homicides rates continue to dominate the Mexican media landscape. In Mexico, violence and its causes have dominated almost all...
22 August, 2018
RUSI is hiring!
We are looking to recruit for two positions with the Cocaine Route Monitoring and Support (CORMS) programme: a Key Expert (KE2) Project Manager and a full-time intern, both based in...
20 August, 2018
Deborah Alimi
This year’s World Drug Report is yet another piece of evidence that the international community faces a daunting task. Despite century long efforts by global law enforcement, the illicit market...
16 August, 2018
Nicholas Lord, Liz Campbell and Karin van Wingerde
In July 2018, a joint report from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Egmont Group provided an overview of the range of techniques and mechanisms that criminals use to obscure their...
10 August, 2018
James Windle
There are many ways to research organised crime and illicit enterprise. One of the most useful – yet underused – is historical research. This article argues that historical research should be used...