EAS-Obs

High-level corruption and state capture in the South Caucasus

Shadow states

...Over the last 35 years, the South Caucasus has undergone profound economic and geopolitical transformations. Yet beneath these changes, certain systems of governance have persisted, cultivating and en...

Posted on 28 Aug 2025

Author(s): Liam O’Shea

APA-Obs

Scam empire strikes back: Crackdowns on Myanmar’s scam industry have had little material impact

...The Wang Xing incident – where a  Chinese influencer was trafficked into and held hostage in multiple scam compounds on the Myanmar–Thailand border in early 2025 – attracted widespread attentio...

Posted on 27 Aug 2025

Author(s): Jason G Tower

Global Organized Crime Index

Organized crime in detention

...Prison reform has become increasingly urgent, at a time when the link between the criminal justice system's shortcomings and organized crime has become more apparent. With approximately 11.5 million p...

Posted on 25 Aug 2025

Author(s): Ioana Vasi

APA-Obs

The business of exploitation: The economics of cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia

The business of exploitation:

...Cyber scam operations in Southeast Asia are part of a vast and evolving illicit industry that relies on trafficking, financial fraud, corruption and professional money laundering networks. This policy...

Posted on 19 Aug 2025

Author(s): Kristina Amerhauser, Audrey Thill

EAS-Obs

Den of thieves: Mapping organized crime in the South Caucasus

Den of thieves

...Criminal networks in the South Caucasus are expanding their reach across borders, exploiting both the region’s geographic position as a trade hub and its complex political environments. While in Aze...

Posted on 13 Aug 2025

Author(s): Alexander Kupatadze