NAS-Obs, SEE-Obs

A smuggling route reawakens: Movement surges between eastern Libya and Crete

...Over the course of two days in mid-April, Greek authorities rescued more than 300 migrants off the coast of Crete, highlighting the growing resurgence of a long-dormant smuggling corridor between east...

Posted on 14 May 2026

Author(s): Fatjona Mejdini, Matt Herbert

WEA-Obs

Coordinated attacks in Mali shift territorial control and realign illicit economies

...In the early hours of 25 April, Mali experienced arguably its most consequential security shock since 2012, when an offensive in the north sparked the 14 years of conflict that have since engulfed the...

Posted on 08 May 2026

ESA-Obs

How counterfeit agricultural products are harming Uganda’s economy

...Counterfeit agricultural products, from fake seeds and adulterated fertilizers to unregistered chemicals and vaccines, are one of Uganda’s most damaging yet underacknowledged economic challenges. Th...

Posted on 07 May 2026

Author(s): Julius Kaka

Global Organized Crime Index, UN Reform, UN-TOC Watch

The 15th Crime Congress and the repositioning of the UNODC and UNTOC

Wind of change

...The 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was due to take place in Abu Dhabi in the final week of April 2026, but has been delayed until the end of September due to the conflict in...

Posted on 04 May 2026

Author(s): Ian Tennant

SEE-Obs

How cannabis legalization reshaped illicit markets in the Western Balkans

...In the span of just one week, from late January to early February, police in the Western Balkans seized 45 tonnes of cannabis – the largest drug bust in the region’s history. While the size of the...

Posted on 30 Apr 2026

Author(s): Fatjona Mejdini, Sasa Djordjevic

Global Initiative

Where do stolen cars and parts from the UK and EU end up?

Theft for export

...Every year, thousands of cars are stolen across the UK and Europe. Some are stripped for parts, some are sold in domestic markets, and others are moved across borders into global second-hand vehicle s...

Posted on 29 Apr 2026

Author(s): Liam O’Shea, Zobel Behalal, Henry Harbottle