Sanctions and smuggling: Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran’s border economies
With new sanctions placed on Iran in August 2018, a long-standing network of smugglers who, for decades, have facilitated the transportation of...
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Captured by Captagon? Lebanon’s evolving illicit drug economy
The latest report by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime “Captured by Captagon? Lebanon’s evolving illicit drug...
The Nexus of Conflict and Illicit Drug Trafficking: Syria and the Wider Region
The conflict in Syria has raged for over five years, creating massive destruction and human misery. Over 5 million people have fled Syria and over...
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Entrenched Political Corruption Squelches New Crime-Fighting Model Designed to Combat Human Trafficking Operations in Turkey
Human trafficking, one of the fastest growing crimes in Turkey, exists because it is profitable and persists in the absence of accountability....
How Organized Crime and Terror are linked to Oil Smuggling along Turkey’s Borders
Abajo en español. Oil smuggling is a lucrative financial source for organized crime and terrorist groups and an example of how demand for cheaper...
Glittering in the shadows – An analytical view of the Lebanese gold trade
Lebanon is historically notorious for its lack of metals and similar natural resources. This makes it even more astonishing that almost one quarter...
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Protecting Migrant Children
In this chapter, Arezo Malakooti (Senior expert on migration, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime), provides an overview of the...
Sandcastles: Tracing Sanctions Evasion Through Dubai’s Luxury Real Estate Market
In this report, the authors examine seven individuals and organizations, their associated corporate networks, and their real estate holdings. They...
Cybercrime and the Digital Economy in the GCC Countries
by Joyce Hakmeh (International Security Department) A failure to tackle cybercrime would imperil strategic development plans intended to diversify...
Making Workers Pay. Recruitment of the Migrant Labor Force in the Gulf Construction Industry
This report gives an insight into the link between corporate practices in the Arabian Gulf’s engineering and construction sector and the...
Employer-Migrant Worker Relationships in the Middle East: Exploring scope for internal labour market mobility and fair migration
The unique aspects of sponsorship systems in the Middle East, commonly known as kafala, result in a delegation of responsibility by the State to the...
Harnessing the Power of Business to end Modern Slavery
In this report, case studies highlight how widespread modern slavery is today and its relevance to businesses. Examples include the widely reported...