Crime & Conflict

The war for Congo’s wealth: How organized crime fuels the M23 crisis in eastern DRC

...On 27 January 2025, the March 23 Movement (M23), an armed rebel group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), announced it had captured Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. Des...

Posted on 30 Jan 2025

Author(s): Zobel Behalal

EUR-Obs

How to make and lose a fortune smuggling migrants on the French coast

...Tackling migrant smuggling has been one of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s priorities since taking office in July 2024. The prime minister has repeatedly vowed to ‘smash the gangs’ who are usin...

Posted on 23 Jan 2025

Crime & Conflict, HT-Obs

Last Chance? Breaking Haiti’s Political and Criminal Impasse

Last Chance?

...Haiti is at a crossroads, facing an unprecedented politico-criminal crisis. In 2024, gang violence escalated to record levels, with criminal groups controlling 85% of Port-au-Prince and expanding acro...

Posted on 17 Jan 2025

Crime & Conflict, UKR-Obs

Tomorrow’s fire: What does the future of the Ukraine conflict mean for Europe’s illicit arms market?

...In February, the war in Ukraine will enter its fourth year. It is too early to tell how the conflict will unfold in 2025, both on the battlefield and at the negotiation table. However, it is not too e...

Posted on 16 Jan 2025

Author(s): Brian Lee, Paddy Ginn

Global Organized Crime Index

Türkiye is taking steps to contain rising cases of fraud. Will they be effective?

...Financial fraud has become increasingly widespread in Türkiye, a phenomenon linked to wider technological and social trends and driven by more organized and sophisticated networks. Although there is ...

Posted on 14 Jan 2025

Author(s): Ebru Erkan

CSA-Obs

Why is Afghanistan part of the great extractives race?

...Afghanistan’s mineral resources harbour great untapped potential. The country sits on an estimated 2.2 billion tonnes of iron ore, 60 million tonnes of copper, 183 million tonnes of aluminium, and v...

Posted on 08 Jan 2025

Author(s): Marcena Hunter, Paddy Ginn

Drug Policy, UKR-Obs

Is Belarus’s strategy on drugs bearing fruit or masking reality?

...‘The work of all [drug] prevention entities is bearing fruit,’ proclaimed Lidskaya Gazeta, a media outlet run by the Belarusian state, on 20 August 2024. In an upbeat article, it heralded a declin...

Posted on 18 Dec 2024

Global Organized Crime Index

The hidden costs of China’s seafood empire

...Since 2018, global seafood consumption has doubled and is expected to double again by 2050. In response to this increased demand, the fishing industry has developed through advances in vessel design, ...

Posted on 16 Dec 2024

Author(s): Ian Urbina