The organised crime/terror nexus manifests at various levels. Organised crime groups and terrorists may converge, permanently or opportunistically. For instance, terrorist groups such as the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) are known to tax and extort drugs traffickers operating within the territory they control; and the Neapolitan Camorra were found to be supplying heavy weapons to ETA in return for shipments of drugs.

Furthermore, the use of criminal tactics by terrorists to further their activities financially and operationally is a recurrent phenomenon, ranging from the IRA’s involvement in racketeering to drug dealing by members of European terror cells. These examples prompt reflection on the nature of the linkages between organised crime and terror.

As a result, the organised crime/terror nexus remains a subject of sustained concern for policy-makers and law enforcement agencies. However, the development of evidence-based policies is complicated by the challenges of researching the activities of criminal and terrorist networks. This is particularly so in a technology-driven age, with the opportunities that cyber space offers to terrorists and criminals.

This workshop is jointly organised by the Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research (SHOC) at RUSI and the newly created Sussex Terrorism and Extremism Research Network (STERN) at the University of Sussex. It brings together representatives from government, law enforcement agencies and academia to take stock of the current state of knowledge on the terrorism/organised crime nexus and discuss its implications for law enforcement in Europe.

Speakers:

• Matt Garrod, Lecturer in Law, University of Sussex, Director of Sussex Terrorism and Extremism Research Network (STERN)
• John Jupp, Lecturer in Law, University of Sussex, Director of Sussex Terrorism and Extremism Research Network (STERN)
• Dr Tamara Makarenko, Managing Director, West Sands Advisory
• Tuesday Reitano, Deputy Director, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime
• Detective Constable Stephen Ward, Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI)
• Colonel Claudio Petrozziello, Guardia di Finanza

For further information and to register, please contact Allana Howard.