APA-Obs

Will Chen Zhi’s arrest and extradition be a wake-up call for scam bosses in the Mekong?

...On 6 January 2026, Chen Zhi, a 37-year-old Chinese-born tycoon, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China. Chen Zhi, accused of masterminding a huge ‘cyber-fraud empire’, was charged by the...

Posted on 29 Jan 2026

Author(s): Jason G Tower, Kristina Amerhauser

Global Initiative

Carceral capture: Criminal governance in Ecuador’s prison system

Carceral capture

...Ecuador’s prison system has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade. This report examines how criminal groups have consolidated control inside prisons, reshaping them into spaces go...

Posted on 29 Jan 2026

Author(s): Renato Rivera Rhon

CA-Obs

Feeding the furnace: Tracing opaque gold supply chains and deals in Central Africa

Feeding the furnace:

...All eyes remain on mineral supply chains in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the capture of key eastern trading hubs and gold-rich territories by M23 rebels backed by Rwanda in early 2...

Posted on 28 Jan 2026

CA-Obs

Goma, one year on: Illicit profits, failed peace

...In January 2025, Goma fell to the M23 rebel group, marking a brutal turning point in the protracted conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Goma, the capital of North Kivu province...

Posted on 26 Jan 2026

Author(s): Zobel Behalal

Global Initiative

Frontiers of plunder

Frontiers of plunder

...Environmental crime in northern Mexico poses an existential threat, sitting at the nexus of organized crime, environmental degradation, corporate malfeasance and community vulnerability. In Chihuahua...

Posted on 23 Jan 2026

UN-TOC Watch

Ongoing uncertainty and an unrelenting agenda: the UNODC in 2026

...January is not yet over and 2026 is already shaping up to be a remarkable year in geopolitics. The multilateral system is facing spiralling political and financial crises, and the UN in Vienna is no e...

Posted on 23 Jan 2026

Author(s): Ian Tennant

Global Initiative

A climate of insecurity: Climate change and organized crime in cities

A climate of insecurity

...There is widespread academic and policy recognition that climate change is transforming and redefining global security and development. Global efforts to tackle this challenge have occupied national g...

Posted on 22 Jan 2026

Author(s): Antônio Sampaio

Resilience Fund

Disappearances by organized crime

Disappearances by organized crime

...Disappearances have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the victims but also their families and communities. The emotional toll is immense, leaving families in a state of uncertainty and gri...

Posted on 22 Jan 2026

Author(s): Sarah Fares

HT-Obs

Peace operations in Haiti: Lessons from two decades of UN engagement

Peace operations in Haiti: Lessons from two decades of UN engagement

...This report examines United Nations and international responses to the evolving dynamics of transnational organized crime in Haiti over the past two decades, and how these dynamics have contributed to...

Posted on 21 Jan 2026

Author(s): Sophie Rutenbar