By Alexandria Reid and Mark Williams

This paper examines the illegal wildlife trade in West Africa, and provides recommendations on how to combat it. In the last five years, West Africa has emerged as a major source and transit hub in the global illegal wildlife trade (IWT). The industrial scale of the multi-tonne, multi-product seizures originating from West Africa clearly demonstrates that profit-driven organised crime groups are running the trade. Yet, while the significance of the region in global IWT flows is increasingly recognised, very little is known about the financial aspects of these criminal operations. This paper begins by analysing IWT trends in West Africa, with a focus on high-grossing trafficking in elephant ivory, pangolin scales and rosewood. Second, it identifies key challenges that currently prevent the use of financial investigation in IWT cases, with a view to establishing baseline levels of awareness and capacity to combat IWT as a financial crime among financial intelligence units in the region. Third, it provides recommendations to support the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force's guidelines in the region.

London: RUSI, 2021. 54p.

By Joseph F. O'Brien , Andris Kurins

Paul Castellano headed New York's immensely powerful Gambino crime family for more than ten years. On December 16, 1985, he was gunned down in a spectacular shooting on Manhattan's fashionable East Side. At the time of his death, Paul Castellano was under indictment. So were most of the major Mafia figures in New York. Why? Because in 1983 the FBI had hidden a microphone in the kitchen of Castellano's Staten Island mansion. The 600 hours of recordings led to eight criminal trials. Agents Joe O'Brien and Andris Kurins planted that mike. They listened to the voices. Now they bring you the most revealing look inside the Mafia ever ... in the Mafia's own words.

New York: Island Books, 1992. 382p.

Edited by Karen Bullock, Ronald V. Clarke and Nick Tilley

Situational crime prevention is the art and science of reducing opportunities for crime. Despite accumulating evidence of its value in reducing many different kinds of crime – such as burglary, fraud, robbery, car theft, child sexual abuse and even terrorism – little has previously been published about its role in reducing organised crimes. This collection of case studies, by a distinguished international group of researchers, fills this gap by documenting the application of a situational prevention approach to a variety of organised crimes. These include sex trafficking, cigarette and drug smuggling, timber theft, mortgage fraud, corruption of private professionals and public officials, and subversion of tendering procedures for construction projects. By moving the focus away from the nature of criminal organisations to the analysis of the crimes committed by these organisations, the book opens up a fresh agenda for policy and research. The book will be of interest to those tasked with tackling organised crime problems as well as those interested in understanding the ways that organised crime problems have manifested themselves globally and how law enforcement and other agencies might seek to tackle them in the future.

Cullompton, Devon, UKWillan Publishing,

By Federica Varese

Running a business in Russia is every bit as unsavory as you might imagine, according to Federico Varese's thoroughly researched look at that nation's organized (but not very organized) criminals. Even the lowliest shopkeeper faces shakedowns from drug addicts and teenage thugs, as well as bribe demands from tax collectors and police. In this chaotic climate, the protection racket thrives. Pay the right person, and not only will the shakedowns end - you might even gain a business partner and a fishing buddy. But the penalties for making the wrong move can be severe. One shopkeeper who refused to pay up was burned to death in his store. Varese offers an intricately detailed look at the realities of the Russian Mafia. His excellent reporting is undermined only by his frequent academic writing style.

Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. 305p.

By Federico Varese

We see mafias as vast, powerful organizations, harvesting billions of dollars across the globe and wrapping their tentacles around everything from governance to finance. But is this the truth? Traveling from mafia initiation ceremonies in far-flung Russian cities to elite gambling clubs in downtown Macau, Federico Varese sets off in search of answers. Using wiretapped conversations, interviews, and previously unpublished police records, he builds up a picture of the real men and women caught up in mafia life, showing their loves and fears, ambitions and disappointments, as well as their crimes. Mafia Life takes us into the real world of organized crime, where henchmen worry about bad managers and have high blood pressure, assassinations are bungled as often as they come off, and increasing pressure from law enforcement means that a life of crime is no longer lived in the lap of luxury. As our world changes, so must mafias. Globalization, migration, and technology are disrupting their traditions and threatening their revenue streams, and the Mafiosi must evolve or die. Mafia Life is an intense and totally compelling look at these organizations and the daily life of their members, as they get to grips with the modern world.

New York; London: Oxford University Press, 2018. 288p.

Edited by Jude McCulloch and Sharon Pickering

Considers the growing importance of the border as a prime site for criminal justice activity and explores the impact of border policing on human rights and global justice. It covers a range of subjects from e-trafficking, child soldiers, the 'global war on terror' in Africa and police activities that generate crime.

Houndmills, Basingstoke. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. 214p.

By Ulrik Boesen

The crafting of tax policy can never be divorced from an understanding of the law of unintended consequences, but it is too often disregarded or misunderstood in political debate, and sometimes policies, however well-intentioned, have unintended consequences that outweigh their benefits. One notable example of this is the ever increasing tax rates on tobacco products. A consequence of high state cigarette excise tax rates has been increased smuggling as people procure discounted packs from low-tax states and sell them in high-tax states. Growing cigarette tax differentials have made cigarette smuggling both a national problem and, in some cases, a lucrative criminal enterprise. Each year, scholars at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Michigan think tank, use a statistical analysis of available data to estimate smuggling rates for each state.1 Their most recent report uses 2019 data and finds that smuggling rates generally rise in states after they adopt cigarette tax increases. Smuggling rates have dropped in some states, often where neighboring states have higher cigarette tax rates. T

Washington, DC: Tax Foundation, 2021. 8p.

Ulrik Boesen

The crafting of tax policy can never be divorced from an understanding of the law of unintended consequences, but it is too often disregarded or misunderstood in political debate, and sometimes policies, however well-intentioned, have unintended consequences that outweigh their benefits.

One notable consequence of high state cigarette excise tax rates has been increased smuggling as people procure discounted packs from low-tax states and sell them in high-tax states. Growing cigarette tax differentials have made cigarette smuggling both a national problem and, in some cases, a lucrative criminal enterprise.

Each year, scholars at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a Michigan think tank, use a statistical analysis of available data to estimate smuggling rates for each state.[1] Their most recent report uses 2018 data and finds that smuggling rates generally rise in states after they adopt cigarette tax increases. Smuggling rates have dropped in some states, often where neighboring states have higher cigarette tax rates.

Washington, DC: Tax Foundation, 2020. 7p.

By Hana Ross

The tobacco market, like many other markets, is subject to illegal activities, primarily related to tax evasion and counterfeiting of legal products. Since a sizable illicit tobacco market can both deprive governments of much needed revenue and undermine the effectiveness of tobacco control efforts, governments dealing with the issue have developed a set of strategies and measures for curbing tobacco tax avoidance and evasion. Many of these measures are called for in the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, the first and, to date, only protocol to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) (WHO 2012). This paper provides a brief review of the key measures, including the rationale for each, their strengths and weaknesses in addressing particular aspect of illicit tobacco trade, and the best way to implement them.

Prepared for the Economics of Tobacco Control Project¸ School of Economics, University of Cape Town and Tobacconomics, Health Policy Center, Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2015. 28p.

Edited by Peter Reuter and Malay Majmundar

Tobacco use has declined because of measures such as high taxes on tobacco products and bans on advertising, but worldwide there are still more than one billion people who regularly use tobacco, including many who purchase products illicitly. By contrast to many other commodities, taxes comprise a substantial portion of the retail price of cigarettes in the United States and most other nations. Large tax differentials between jurisdictions increase incentives for participation in existing illicit tobacco markets. In the United States, the illicit tobacco market consists mostly of bootlegging from low-tax states to high-tax states and is less affected by large-scale smuggling or illegal production as in other countries. In the future, non-price regulation of cigarettes - such as product design, formulation, and packaging - could in principle, contribute to the development of new types of illicit tobacco markets.

Washington, DC: National Academies Press, 2015.

By KPMG

Imperial Tobacco Australia Limited (ITA) and Philip Morris Limited (PML) have commissioned KPMG UK to estimate the size of the consumption of illicit tobacco in Australia. Reports are produced annually. The purpose of this report is: 1. To provide an overview of the nature and dynamics of the legal and illicit tobacco markets in Australia, and 2. To provide an independent estimate of the size of the illicit tobacco market in Australia. This full year 2018 report measures the consumption of illicit tobacco in Australia. It reports on events occurring during the twelve month period from January 2018 through December 2018. This 2018 report is produced using a methodology in line with previous KPMG ‘Illicit Tobacco in Australia’ reports.

London: KPMG, 2019. 104p.

By KPMG

This report of key findings (the ‘Report’) has been prepared by KPMG LLP. The Report was commissioned by PMPSA (Philip Morris Products SA), described in this Important Notice and in this Report as the ‘beneficiary’, on the basis set out in a private contract agreed between the beneficiary and KPMG LLP dated 12 January 2022. Information sources, the scope of our work, and scope and source limitations are set out in the footnotes and methodology contained within this Report. The scope of our work, information sources used, and any scope and source limitations were fixed by agreement with the beneficiary. We have satisfied ourselves, where possible, that the information presented in this Report is consistent with the information sources used, but we have not sought to establish the reliability of the information sources by reference to other evidence. We relied upon and assumed without independent verification, the accuracy and completeness of information available from public and third‐ party sources. This Report has not been designed to benefit any specific organisation other than the beneficiary. In preparing this Report we have not taken into account the interests, needs, or circumstances of any specific organisation, other than the beneficiary.

• More.....

  This Report is not suitable to be relied on by any party (other than the beneficiary) wishing to acquire rights or assert any claims against KPMG LLP for any purpose or in any context. As such, any person or entity (other than the beneficiary) who reads this Report and chooses to rely on it (or any part of it) will do so at their own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, KPMG LLP does not assume any responsibility and will not accept any liability in respect of this Report other than to the beneficiary. In particular, and without limiting the general statement above, although we have prepared this Report in agreement with the beneficiary, this Report has not been prepared for the benefit of any other manufacturer of tobacco products nor for any other person or entity who might have an interest in the matters discussed in this Report, including for example those who work in or monitor the tobacco or public health sectors or those who provide goods or services to those who operate in those sectors.

London: KPMG, 2022. 231p.

Edited by Walter Kegö & Alexandru Molcean

A new criminal landscape is emerging in Europe. A key factor behind the dramatically increasing crime levels is Russian organized crime. While these groups are often comprised of Russians, they are not based solely on ethnicity, often members are also from former Soviet republics. According to Europol, these groups are among the most dangerous criminal groups operating in Europe today. They are involved in every type of illegal activity and excel in exploiting new opportunities in the economic and financial sectors. They make exorbitant amounts of money from illegal activities such as money laundering, human and drug trafficking, smuggling and extortion. Their activities have grown and spread to other countries to such an extent that they pose a serious problem affecting all EU member states. This report documents recent trends.

Stockholm: Institute for Security and Development Policy, 2012. 102p.

By Gavin Slade

'Thieves-in-law' (vory-v-zakone in Russian or kanonieri qurdebi in Georgian) are career criminals belonging to a criminal fraternity that has existed at least since the 1930s in the Soviet Gulag. These actors still exist in one form or another in post-Soviet countries and have integrated into transnational organised criminal networks. For reasons yet to be explicated, thieves-in-law became exceptionally prevalent in the Soviet republic of Georgia. Here, by the 1990s, they formed a mafia network where this means criminal associations that attempt to monopolize protection in legal and illegal sectors of the economy.

In 2005, Mikhail Saakashvili, the current president of Georgia claimed that 'in the past 15 years...Georgia was not ruled by [former President] Shevardnadze, but by thieves-in-law.' Directly transferring anti-organised crime policy from Italy and America, Saakashvili's government made reform of the criminal justice system generally and an attack on the thieves-in-law specifically a cornerstone of the Rose Revolution. New legislation criminalises the possession of the status of ‘thief-in-law’ and of membership of criminal associations that constitute what is known as the ‘thieves’ world’ (qurduli samkaro). Along with a sweeping reform of the police and prisons and a ‘culture of lawfulness’ campaign, Georgian criminal justice reforms since 2003 may be seen as the first sustained anti-mafia policy to be implemented in a post-Soviet country. It also appears to have been very successful.

• More.....

  The longevity and sudden decline of the thieves-in-law in Georgia provides the main questions that the following study addresses: How do we account for changes in the levels of resilience to state attack of actors carrying the elite criminal status of ‘thief-in-law’? How has this resilience been so effectively compromised since 2005? Utilising unique access to primary sources of data such as police files, court cases, archives and expert interviews this thesis studies the dynamics of changing mafia activities, recruitment practices, and structural forms of a criminal group as it relates to changes in the environment and, in particular, the recent anti-organised crime policy.

Oxford, UK: St. Anthony's College, 2011. 339p.

By Jakub Lonsky

This paper studies the origins and consequences of the Russian mafia (vory-v-zakone). Using a unique web scraped dataset containing detailed biographies of more than 5,000 mafia leaders, I first show that the Russian mafia originated in the Soviet Gulag archipelago, and could be found near the gulags' initial locations in mid-1990s Russia, some three decades after the camps were officially closed down. Then, using an instrumental variable approach that exploits the proximity of the Russian mafia to the gulags, I show that Russian communities with mafia presence in the mid-1990s experienced a dramatic rise in crime driven by elite violence which erupted shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The violence – initially confined to the criminal underworld – eventually spilled over, leading to indiscriminate attacks against local businessmen, managers of state-owned enterprises, judges, and members of the state security apparatus. However, there was no increase in politically-motivated violence, suggesting a widespread collusion between the mafia and local politicians in the early post-Soviet Russia.

Global Labor Organization (GLO), 2020. 58p.

By Marcena Hunter

The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime published a policy brief about possibilities on sanctions against Russia’s illicit gold trade. As gold finds itself increasingly cut off from foreign currency and financial systems, illicit gold markets and gold laundering are one way Moscow (and other sanctioned actors) could seek to generate profits and move finances across borders. The wheels of the global illicit gold market are well oiled and offer a variety of economic options to an increasingly beleaguered Moscow, along with other sanctioned actors.2 It is therefore critical to understand the potential for using criminal networks to move and launder gold to evade sanctions. Developing targeted responses to tackle abuse of gold markets will not only be critical to maximize the effectiveness of responses, but also to minimize unintended harms.

Geneva: Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, 2022. 23p,

By Dolgor Solongo

The period of transition from socialism to capitalism in the Russian Federation has appeared to present limitless opportunities for international money-laundering. This publication discusses this issue under such topics as: capital flight and money-laundering; dollarization of the Russian economy; privatization; shadow economy, tax evasion and lawlessness; financial liberalization and the banking system; crime and business; and countering money-laundering

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2001. 31p.

By James O. Finckenauer and Yuri A. Voronin

The general definition of "organized crime" used in this paper is "crime committed by criminal organizations whose existence has continuity over time and across crimes, and that use systematic violence and corruption to facilitate their criminal activities." The distinctiveness of Russian organized crime is the degree to which it is embedded in the post-Soviet political system. The transnational character of Russian organized crime, when combined with its high degree of sophistication and ruthlessness, has made it a global concern. In tracing the historical, political, and economic contextual features of Russian organized crime, this paper discusses actions by the Russian government since 1991 to cope with its crime problem. It also presents a case study of organized crime in the Urals region of Russia. The paper concludes with a discussion of the actual and potential impacts of Russian organized crime on the United States. The latter discussion notes that the greatest threat to the West, the United States in particular, comes from the expansion of Urals-based criminal activities abroad. It is estimated that some 12 to 15 loosely categorized criminal groups with international ties to Russia or other former Soviet republics are currently operating in the United States, having an estimated 500-600 members.

• More.....

  These varied criminal groups are extensively involved in a broad array of frauds and scams, including health care fraud, insurance scams, stock frauds, antiquities swindles, forgery, and fuel tax evasion schemes. Russians have become the principal ethnic group involved in credit-card fraud in the United States. The laundering of the huge profits of Russian organized crime abroad is increasing its penetration into legitimate sectors of the global economy, and Federal and regional governments do not have the resources to counter its money-based power and influence. Legitimate businesses, including the movie business and textile industry, have become targets of criminals from the former Soviet Union. Countering transnational organized crime networks will require a costly and lengthy international effort in which the United States must play a major role.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs National Institute of Justice, 2001. 40p.

Edited by Louise Shelley, Erik R. Scott and Anthony Latta

Georgia is one of the most corrupt and crime-ridden nations of the former Soviet Union. In the Soviet period, Georgians played a major role in organized crime groups and the shadow economy operating throughout the Soviet Union, and in the post-Soviet period, Georgia continues to be an important source of international crime and corruption. Important changes have been made since the Rose Revolution in Georgia to address the organized crime and pervasive corruption. This book, based on extensive original research, surveys the most enduring aspects of organized crime and corruption in Georgia and the most important reforms since the Rose Revolution. Endemic crime and corruption had a devastating effect on government and everyday life in Georgia, spurring widespread popular discontent that culminated with the Rose Revolution in 2003. Some of the hopes of the Rose Revolution have been realized, though major challenges lie ahead as Georgia confronts deep-seated crime and corruption issues that will remain central to political, economic, and social life in the years to come.

London; New York: Routledge, 2007. 144p.

By David F. Marley

This captivating resource covers the bloody history of Mexican drug cartels from their rise in the 1980s to the latest round of brutal violence, which has seen more than 125,000 Mexican citizens killed over the past decade.

This comprehensive reference work offers a detailed exploration of the vicious drug organizations that have enveloped Mexico in extreme violence since the 1980s. Organized alphabetically, the book features more than 200 entries on the major individuals and organizations that have dominated Mexico's booming illegal drug trade, as well as the Mexican armed forces and police units that have faced off against them in the escalating War on Drugs.

Santa Barbara, California : ABC-CLIO, 2019. 352p.