Contested Ground: Inside Cape Towns gang wars Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2021-11-04 | The Americans are among around 100 gangs in Cape Town warring over territory to sell drugs. Gang violence accounts for a third of murders in Cape Town. We investigate the heavily contested landscape and turf wars in Cape Town's ganglands against the backdrop of a COVID-19 lockdown.Check out our video on assassinations in South Africa: youtu.be/ykJ7XwEEeKc
Withholding migrants passports to control them, after helping smuggle them from Vietnam to Europe Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-18 | Five men have been jailed in the UK for smuggling migrants from Vietnam into Europe, using their passports as a tool of debt bondage.But this case is just one node in a much larger system.A new GI-TOC report shows why the so-called moi gioi smuggling ecosystem is so difficult to dismantle.It often starts with a choice, not coercion. Migrants set out voluntarily, hoping for a better life. But debt built up before and during the journey gradually becomes a means of contol. Many don't see themselves as victims, especially when forced labour feels like the only way to repay what they owe.And since no single actor controls the full journey from Vietnam to Europe, authorities rarely catch the whole network at once.The system also adapts fast: brokers shift routes, swap documents, change prices and redirect migrants to new labour markets whenever one path gets risky.Read the full report on the GI-TOC website: globalinitiative.net/analysis/vietnamese-smuggling-operations-to-europe #smuggling #moigioi #vietnam #europe #gang #exploitation
Shadow wars: Proceeds of violence in Central Africa Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-18 | ...
Cash, Crypto and Criminality Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-17 | Cash and crypto are partners in illicit finance. Cash operates at street level; bribes, drugs, extortion. Physical, local, and hard to trace at the point of exchange.Cryptocurrency operates differently. it facilitates rapid, low-cost movement of value across jurisdictions, making it more suited to higher-level financial flows.The result: cash absorbs the risk locally. Crypto absorbs the distance globally.Theoretically, crypto should make crime easier to trace. Sounds right, until you realize the transaction clears before anyone's even looking. By the time you ask the question, the money's already gon
Lanzamiento Repositorio GLACSED Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-17 | El Grupo Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Seguridad y Democracia (GLACSED) te invita al lanzamiento oficial de su Repositorio de Buenas Prácticas y Experiencias en Seguridad y Democracia. Este reúne herramientas, enfoques y respuestas prácticas, probadas en distintos países de la región y con potencial real de ser adaptadas y replicadas.En este primer webinar presentaremos el repositorio y profundizaremos en una de las experiencias que lo integran. Será el primero de una serie de encuentros periódicos para conocer a fondo iniciativas que demuestran que la lucha contra el crimen organizado puede entregar resultados reales y a la vez respetar los derechos humanos, el Estado de derecho y las instituciones democráticas.
What connects Buddhist temples and financial crime? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-15 | This week, a senior Buddhist monk was arrested in Thailand on charges of embezzlement and money laundering, alongside a female accomplice with whom he was filmed in a sexual relationship.Phra Wachirayan is the abbot of Wat Phutthaisawan, a royal monastery in the ancient capital of Ayutthaya.According to police, he led a scheme that diverted nearly US$2.7 million in donations intended for temple renovations, plus a further 2.8 million baht (roughly US$80,000) in payments for Buddhist sacred objects. But this is not an isolated case. Last year, the Buddhist-majority country was hit by a series of scandals involving the clergy, leading to calls for more rigorous oversight of temple finances.In an interview with GI-TOC in October 2025, legal scholar Khemthong Tonsakulrungruang explained that last year's scandal, the so-called "Miss Golf" case, in which a woman allegedly used a relationship with a senior monk to extract millions in donations, showed how cultural reverence for monks enabled systematic financial abuse.From donations to land leases, temples in Thailand have diverse sources of wealth, but less than 10% of them comply with regulatory measures, and enforcement is still very limited.Watch the full video on our YouTube channel to understand what's really behind this story #GITOC #OrganizedCrime #Thailand #Corruption #WhiteCollarCrime #MoneyLaundering
The Global System Stopping Money Laundering Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-14 | In 1989, the G7 drafted the standards that now govern anti-money-laundering policy worldwide.The process was rapid, and the evidentiary basis was limited. There was no broad multilateral negotiation — the framework was developed by a small group of states and subsequently extended to the rest of the world through diplomatic and economic pressure.This became the Financial Action Task Force, the body that now shapes how deeply financial institutions can scrutinize individual transactions and personal financial histories.What's notable is the absence of independent evaluation. A system this intrusive, adopted with this little deliberation, has faced remarkably little formal scrutiny regarding its effectiveness.#shorts
Diaboliks Murder: Mafia, Football & Revenge in Rome Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-11 | Seven men have been charged over the murder of Fabrizio Piscitelli, known as Diabolik, the notorious leader of the Irriducibili ultras who supported SS Lazio. He also made a fortune as a major figure in Rome's drug trade. In 2019, Piscitelli was shot on a park bench in broad daylight.Among those charged is Michele Senese, historic boss of the Rome-based Senese clan, with ties to the Neapolitan Camorra mafia. While in prison, Senese allegedly approved the hit after Piscitelli stopped paying his share of drug profits.The man convicted of pulling the trigger had his life sentence overturned on appeal in 2026. Investigators have built an increasingly detailed picture of the network behind the assassination.The murder didn't end the conflict. Diabolik's allies launched a wave of revenge plots across Rome's criminal underworld, and a year later, the Irriducibili dissolved.#OrganizedCrime #Mafia #Football #Italy #GITOC
Where does money laundering happen? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-09 | Money laundering doesn't happen where you think.It occurs in major financial centers, New York, London, Switzerland, because illicit money moves toward depth and liquidity. The places best equipped to launder money are the places already handling the most money.Meanwhile, the regulatory response built since the 1990s, which is extensive, costly, and increasingly intrusive, has not produced a measurable reduction in the criminal share of global economic activity.Check out the full episode of Underworlds to learn why: youtu.be/7B15-zpAbuE?si=CBqFJkV7LGUDg017
Ukraines top prosecutor just resigned over this👇 Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-09 | Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has resigned just days after the arrest of a senior official accused of running a scheme to shield scam call centers, one of the country's most lucrative criminal industries. Authorities are investigating whether Kravchenko is the "boss" referenced in leaked recordings. He denies the allegations.This industry isn't small. Some scam call centers run 300 staff, place 5,000 calls a day, and pull in $1M a month. By 2024, an estimated 60,000–100,000 people were working in Ukraine's scam economy, and the business has grown so large, it's spilling abroad.Zelensky has put forward two bills to crack down on scam centers, and recent raids reportedly cut the number of centers by a third. But are these measures enough?#Ukraine #OrganizedCrime #Corruption #ScamCenters
Why is money laundering so hard to stop? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-07 | What happens when the system built to stop money laundering becomes part of the problem it claims to fight?In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark Shaw speaks with journalist Oliver Bullough about his new book, Everybody Loves Our Dollars. Rather than tracing the crimes themselves, Bullough turns his attention to the decades-long effort to stop them — and asks why, despite enormous cost and effort, that effort has largely failed.The conversation covers the surprising history of anti-money laundering law, born only in the 1970s; the puzzle of record-high volumes of $100 bills and 1,000-franc notes circulating even as everyday cash use declines; the double standard built into the Financial Action Task Force, and the shift toward stablecoins as a faster, less accountable channel for moving illicit money across borders.
Hells Angels: Bans, Seizures and Ideology Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-07 | This former Hells Angel provides insights to the motorcycle clubs ideology and why charters invest so much into their clubhouses.Find out more about the effect of seizures and other measures the state can take against biker gangs in the full video: youtu.be/-i4ffISXHrg#HellsAngels #Motorcyclegang #seizures #organizedcrime #onepercenters
Hells Angels: Wie der Staat gegen sie vorgeht, während die Medien sie verherrlichen Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-09-03 | Im April 2026 verbot Deutschland das Hells Angels Charter Leverkusen und ging in Nordrhein-Westfalen mit einem beispiellosen Großeinsatz gegen die berüchtigte Biker-Gang vor: über 1.200 Polizeibeamte durchsuchten mehr als 50 Objekte.Kassra Zargaran, ein ehemaliges Mitglied der Hells Angels, berichtet aus erster Hand, welche Auswirkungen Verbote haben können und wie sich zu seiner Zeit nach dem Verbot des Berlin City Charter dieser beharrliche Polizei-Druck anfühlte.Er betont auch den krassen Gegensatz zwischen der Behandlung der Biker-Gang durch den deutschen Staat und die Mainstream-Medien. Denn während der Staat finanzielle Kontrollen verschärft, die Beweislast umkehrt und den Mitgliedern das Leben erschwert, bieten große Fernsehsender aktiven Hells Angels Mitgliedern eine Plattform, ohne ihre Verbindung zum organisierten Verbrechen auch nur zu erwähnen.💥 Das Ergebnis? Eine verwirrende Botschaft für die Gesellschaft, insbesondere für junge Menschen, die die Hells Angels als Gesetzlose und zugleich als Idole betrachten.
Malware-as-a-Service & AI Deepfakes: How Technology is changing Cyber Crime #MekongMatters Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-31 | He used to sell stolen identities to hackers, now he fights cyber crime. In this episode of Mekong Matters, Hieu Ngo, former cyber criminal turned cyber security expert and co-founder and CEO of Chống Lừa Đảo, explains how criminals are using real-time face swapping, AI-generated voices, and malware-as-a-service to trick even the most cautious people. Learn about the psychological tactics scammers use—exploiting fear, urgency, and trust—to manipulate victims into sending money or sensitive information. Hieu also reveals how AI is making these crimes easier, cheaper, and more convincing than ever.But there’s hope. Hieu discusses the global efforts to combat cybercrime, including cross-border crackdowns, stronger biometric verification, and the role of AI in defending against scams. He also provides practical advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones. If you’ve ever wondered how safe you really are online, this video is a must-watch.Chống Lừa Đảo's website: hhttps://chongluadao.vn/enThe latest Mekong Risk Monitor: globalinitiative.net/analysis/mekong-risk-monitor-3A world of deceit - A report on the global scam centre phenomenon: globalinitiative.net/analysis/mapping-global-scam-center-phenomenonThis podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.
Love Bombed: Operation Jackal IV Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-29 | Interpol's latest strike against West African organised crime behind romance scams, fraud, and sextortion.At the centre is Black Axe, a Nigerian confraternity founded in the 1970s, now active in up to 60 countries with a strict internal hierarchy and profits funnelled back to Nigeria. GI-TOC research shows the network's resilience–raids in Italy and Germany have disrupted cells but without stopping expansion.58 arrests. 22 countries. $2.67 million seized in South Africa alone. But in a system built to replace what it loses, is law enforcement fighting a losing battle?
How cattle rustling became heavily armed and highly profitable in Kenya Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-29 | Cattle rustling in Kenya's North Rift has evolved from a small-scale cultural tradition into an organised, heavily armed, and highly profitable criminal enterprise. Raids can involve hundreds of people, strip families of generational wealth, and displace entire communities. And it's no longer driven by cattle alone, but by a wider scramble for territory, political power, and access to oil, gold, and other resources. In this episode of The Index, we examine who profits from this criminal economy and why efforts to stop it have failed.00:00 - Introduction00:12 - How cattle rustling became organised crime02:46 - Traditional roots of cattle rustling04:31 - Firearms change the conflict04:50 - The rise of land/mineral disputes05:38 - Three forms of modern cattle rustling06:33 - The commercial trade in stolen cattle07:35 - Raids for displacement and land grabs08:19 - Disputed boundaries fuel the conflict09:54 - Failed responses and the need for new solutions
Somali pirates are making a return: heres why Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-28 | Somali piracy has resurged in 2026, with over a dozen attempted hijackings this year and six commercial vessels currently held by pirates off the Somali coast. Jay Bahadur breaks down what's driving the comeback and why it looks different this time: from a ransom paid in January that reopened the door to piracy, to the Indian Navy's shift in focus amid the Strait of Hormuz crisis, to new evidence of Yemeni involvement in recent hijackings, why the Houthis likely aren't behind it, and longer-term risks: arms smuggling, human trafficking, and piracy networks converging in the Gulf of Aden.Jay Bahadur is a leading expert on Somali piracy and maritime crime, author of The Pirates of Somalia, and co-director of the investigative consultancy Scopus Insights. He is a Independent researcher and investigator for the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.00:00 - 2026 uptick in piracy off Somalia00:53 - What's causing the surge in Somali piracy?01:46 - What impact does the outbreak of war in Iran have?03:38 - How are Somali pirates organized?05:53 - Could there be Yemeni participation?06:53 - Is there evidence of Houthi involvement? 09:05 - What will happen if Somali piracy continues to increase?
Vom Hells Angels Mitglied zum Kronzeugen: Wie eine Nachtclub-Schlägerei zu einer Hinrichtung führte Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-27 | Im Jänner 2014 marschierten 13 Hells Angels in ein Wettcafe in Berlin, direkt auf einem Mann im Hinterzimmer zu und feuerten acht Schüsse auf ihn – sechs davon trafen ihr Ziel. Innerhalb von 25 Sekunden waren sie wieder verschwunden und ließen den Mann sterbend zurück.Kassra Zargaran, ehemaliges Mitglied des Hells Angels Berlin City Charter, berichtet aus erster Hand von dem eskalierenden Konflikt, der zur Hinrichtung von Tahir Özbek führte. Von Nachtclub-Schlägereien bis hin zu Straßenkriegen gibt es Einblicke in die skrupellose Welt des organisierten Verbrechens, gebrochene Straßenregeln und den Moment, in dem er beschloss, sein Schweigen zu brechen.
Leave of Absence: US-Mexico Tensions Rise Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-26 | A Mexican governor asked for leave twice in one week. Once after being indicted by the US for allegedly protecting Sinaloa Cartel shipments, then again a day after trying to return to office.It's the first time Washington has indicted a sitting Mexican governor, but Mexico President Sheinbaum says Mexico won't shield anyone guilty of a crime but calls the case, absent clear evidence, political.
Mexican cartels are outsourcing meth labs to Africa Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-24 | R600 million (US$37 million) worth of drugs and equipment seized. Five arrests. And another major meth lab linked to Mexican cartels in South Africa.The remote farm near the Zimbabwe border is the fifth major clandestine drug site with a link to Mexican cartels raided in South Africa since 2024.South Africa’s international connections also make it a transit hub for drug shipments towards Europe and Asia.And there’s another concern: Mexican cartels appear to be cooperating with powerful Nigerian organized crime networks already embedded in South Africa.#southafrica #organizedcrime #DrugTrafficking #mexico #africa
What the Hells Angels Patches really mean Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-21 | The Hells Angels' patches signify more than loyalty, they denote specific criminal achievements. From murder for the club to violent acts against the state, these emblems are earned to strengthen the 'business'. #BikerGangs #CriminalOrganizations #PatchHistory #OrganizedCrime #HellsAngels #OutlawMotorcycleClubs
80 Million Euro Art Heist: Why Steal What Cant Be Sold? #shorts Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-21 | It's feared organized criminals could be behind the theft of 4 Antonello da Messina paintings worth millions. But, too famous to sell, their motive is a puzzle: collateral, blackmail, or a commissioned job?
Ein ehemaliger Hells Angel erklärt die kriminelle Struktur des skrupellosen Motorradclubs Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-20 | Das ehemalige Hells-Angels-Mitglied Kassra Zargaran gibt Einblicke in die inneren Abläufe eines der berüchtigtsten Motorradclubs der Welt. Wie funktioniert die Hierarchie innerhalb eines Charters und das dahinterstehende globale Netzwerk? Und wie zentral ist die organisierte Kriminalität im Club? Von der Kontrolle legaler Unternehmen durch Einschüchterung bis hin zu Abzeichen, die für Morde verliehen werden: Zargaran beschreibt detailliert, wie Macht, Geld und Gewalt jede Entscheidung bestimmen – und das alles unter dem Deckmantel der Bruderschaft.
Why did Russia want this hitman back? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-14 | In 2019 a man was shot dead in a Berlin park. His killer was a gangster the FSB had recruited. Five years later the Kremlin fought to bring him home. In the second episode of BRATVA, Mark Galeotti unpacks why Russia has stopped sending its own spies and started hiring criminals instead, and what that shift means for everyone living in Europe.READ THE REPORTS:Gangsters at War: Russia's use of organized crime as an instrument of statecraftglobalinitiative.net/analysis/gangsters-at-war-russias-use-of-organized-crime-as-an-instrument-of-statecraftBeyond boundaries: The Chinese party-state and geocriminality in South East Asiaglobalinitiative.net/analysis/the-chinese-party-state-and-geocriminality-in-south-east-asiaBRATVA is a monthly series from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, looking at organized crime in Russia and across the wider Eurasian space. Each episode takes one specific case, be it an arrest warrant, a killing, a name in the news, and then asks what it actually tells us about the underworld behind the headlines. Who. Why. And, of course, so what.In this episode:- Who Vadim Krasikov was, and why a hitman ended up on the Kremlin's shopping list- Geocriminality: what happens when states use organized crime as a tool of statecraft- The quiet deal the Kremlin offered Russia's hackers- Six men in east London, paid to burn a warehouse for a country they'd never worked for- How criminals get recruited on the dark net and paid in cryptocurrency- Why North Korea, Iran and China are running versions of the same playbookCHAPTERS:00:00 A murder in Berlin01:46 Intro/Welcome to Bratva02:02 The Foreign Office hack02:25 What is geocriminality?03:15 From the Tsars to the FSB04:11 What's actually new04:44 The Kremlin's offer to Russia's hackers06:38 Finland, Spain and east London07:33 Why Europe is the target09:19 North Korea, Iran and China10:56 The new face of warPresented by Mark Galeotti, honorary professor at UCL, director of Mayak Intelligence and a member of the Global Initiative Network. He has spent decades working on Russian and post-Soviet organized crime: drinking with gangsters, visiting them in prison, and - only once - getting shot at.New episode every month. Subscribe for more organized crime analysis.#bratva #russianmafia #organizedcrime #geocriminality
Frontlines vs the Underworld Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-14 | A war has a front line — you know where the danger is, and where it isn't. Organized crime has none. Photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie compares nine tours in Ukraine to shooting the cartels in northern Mexico — and explains why the invisible threat is always the harder one to survive.#shorts #organizedcrime
Organized criminals could exploit a new loophole in the United States Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-14 | A recent US rule has permanently removed beneficial ownership reporting requirements for US companies and individuals. But that could create a major blind spot for law enforcement.Without this information, it may become harder to identify who ultimately controls a US entity - including whether it is linked to criminals, sanctioned individuals, or other bad actors.The concern? Criminal networks could use this change to conceal ownership, launder money, move illicit proceeds, or evade sanctions.#US #FinancialCrime #MoneyLaundering #Sanctions #ShellCompanies #BeneficialOwnership #TrumpAdministration
Getting the shot: Inside Haiti Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-13 | Photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie speaks on his experience photographing inside of Haiti. Of every conflict zone he's covered, Haiti was the most difficult.
Behind The Frame: A Photograph Lies Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-12 | A photograph only shows you the frame, everything outside it disappears. Photojournalist Jonathan Alpeyrie on why he writes the stories behind his images — because the picture alone can't carry the truth of what millions live through every day. The latest episode of Underworlds with Mark Shaw is on Youtube now.#organizedcrime #shorts
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Assassination Explained Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-11 | Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb near her home in October 2017. Almost nine years later, the man accused of ordering and financing her murder, a businessman called Yorgen Fenech, is on trial.In this video we explore the background behind the case: Caruana Galizia's reporting on the Panama Papers and alleged corruption linked to Malta's ElectroGas power plant deal; her surveillance and killing by a network of hitmen and bomb suppliers, whom have since been convicted; and the extraordinary significance of a mastermind actually facing justice - something Global Initiative research shows almost never happens in assassinations of this kind.Featuring analysis from Mark Micallef, former news editor at the Times of Malta and head of the Global Initiative's North Africa and Sahel Observatory, and testimony from Caruana Galizia's own family on their years-long fight to keep the pursuit of justice alive."It wasn't the assassination that saved the country. It was society's response to the assassination that changed the country's destiny."Read more analysis: globalinitiative.netGI-TOC's work on assassinations: assassination.globalinitiative.net00:00 - Why the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder trial matters02:03 - Mark Micallef and how he knew Daphne02:27 - Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia?03:53 - What do we know so far? 04:47 - The ongoing trial05:19 - What is Yorgen Fenech accused of?07:26 - What is happening in the trial?08:02 - Why is this trial notable?09:18 - The role of Daphne's family in seeking justice10:03 - An interview with Daphne's son, Andrew Caruana Galizia
Stolen Cars: How Criminals Exploit UK Shipping Systems #TheIndexPodcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-10 | Discover the methods used to smuggle stolen vehicles from the UK, from concealed shipping containers to roll-on/roll-off ferries and learn about the challenges authorities face in stopping this illicit trade in the full episode of the Index Podcast: youtu.be/igWzo3leMPY #cartheft #Smuggling #shippingcontainer #bordercrossing #UK #stolenvehicle #stolencar
Shipping Container Smuggling: How Its Done #TheIndexPodcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-08 | Easily hired shipping containers are exploited for smuggling parts or stolen cars. The UK prioritizes incoming goods checks over outgoing, with container searches relying heavily on intelligence, not random selection. Watch the full episode: youtu.be/igWzo3leMPY #ContainerCrime #ShippingSecurity #UKImports #StolenCars #CustomsChecks
Inside Liberias Record Cocaine Bust and the Route to Europe Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-07 | Liberia has made its largest-ever cocaine seizure — nearly 4 tonnes found in a warehouse outside Monrovia after a 13-month undercover probe, just weeks after a separate 250kg bust at the airport. The arrests, spanning Liberian, Serbian and Spanish-Colombian nationals, point to a bigger trend: Latin American cartels and Balkan crime groups using West Africa as a storage and redistribution hub for Europe's cocaine market. GI-TOC unpacks what this seizure reveals about shifting trafficking routes and networks.Chapters00:00 – Record seizure in Monrovia01:28 – West Africa as storage hub01:40 – Foreign crime groups' role03:50 – Risk of permanent infrastructure04:01 – Sierra Leone route & suspect link04:38 – Rising local consumption
UK Car Theft: Expert Criminals Target High-Value Vehicles #TheIndexPodcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-06 | Organized crime targets high-value vehicles for export. Cars are dismantled or disguised with false identities, then hidden within legitimate shipments to pass through global ports. Watch the full episode: youtu.be/igWzo3leMPY#CarTheft #OrganizedCrime #ExportTrade #VehicleSecurity #InternationalTrade #stolencar
Was human smuggling responsible for the Ceuta mass migration? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-05 | Tens of thousands of irregular migrants entered Ceuta, a Spanish enclave bordering Morocco, in just 24 hours. Some politicians and commentators were quick to pin this on human smuggling networks. But the events in Ceuta suggest the picture can be more complex. If we are to develop effective policy responses, it is essential to distinguish between organised smuggling operations and self-organised crossings.#organizedcrime #Ceuta #humansmuggling
Underworlds: Drug Wars, Supply and Demand Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-04 | Jonathan Alpeyrie has spent two decades photographing armed conflict.In his latest photography project, Drug Wars: Supply and Demand, he turns his lens toward a different story: the transnational drug economy stretching from Latin America to North America and Western Europe.Alpeyrie gained access to criminal networks, law enforcement operations, and drug users across Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Brazil, Haiti, and multiple U.S. states to paint a global picture of the supply and demand of drugs.In this episode of Underworlds with Mark Shaw, Alpeyrie discusses the mechanics of access — negotiating with fixers, cartel intermediaries, and police forces; the ethical grey zones of paying for protection and proximity; his approach to law enforcement versus harm-reduction models; and his read on where drug policy in Europe and the Americas is heading. The conversation moves between the practical photographic realities of documenting organized crime on the ground and the broader strategic picture of how criminal markets have been operating globally.Underworlds is available now.Chapter Markers00:00 – Introduction: The Book and the Photographer02:33 – Origins: From War Photography to the Drug Trade06:43 – Building the Book: Structure and Country Selection09:12 – Access and Trust: Working Through Fixers14:28 – Ecuador: Access, Danger, and the Rooftop Chase15:50 – Law Enforcement Access and Its Trade-offs18:00 – El Salvador: The Crackdown and Its Costs21:50 – The Limits of the Frame: What a Photograph Can't Show23:08 – Haiti: Access, Extortion, and Gangs27:40 – The Ethics of Proximity to Criminal Power30:19 – Mexico vs. Ukraine: Two Kinds of Danger34:10 – The United States: Access and the Domestic Crisis37:30 – Policy, Ideology, and the Harm Reduction Debate38:28 – Enforcement, Addiction, and the Cost of Inaction42:01 – What's Next: Europe and the Future of the Trade43:41 – Closing
Protecting Kids Online: Cybersecurity & Social Media Risks #MekongMatters Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-08-01 | Early access to mobile devices is becoming more and more common, exposing children to online dangers. 41% of Cambodian children connect with strangers online. AI apps and peer pressure on social media increase risks. Watch the full episode: youtu.be/7mskf3WRRgI #OnlineSafety #ChildProtection #Cybersecurity #ParentingTips #DigitalLiteracy
Once a car is stolen, this is what happens next Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-30 | How does a car stolen from a driveway in the UK or Europe make its way to a different continent, and end up for sale thousands of miles away? There is no single route, or criminal organization controlling this trade. Instead it relies on a network of specialist, and the involvement of private-sector actors who either knowingly cooperate, or may be coerced. Between 2023 and 2025, the Global Organized Crime Index recorded an increase in the influence in the influence of private-sector actors - the steepest rise among all the criminal actor types monitored. We examine how vehicles are moved into overseas markets, the actors who enable the trade, and why it remains so difficult to stop.
Protecting Girls from Online Exploitation #MekongMatters Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-28 | Online child exploitation is a serious threat, with teenagers aged 13-18 being most at risk. Anyone can be a victim, regardless of gender or age. We work to protect survivors and those at high risk.Watch the full episode: youtu.be/7mskf3WRRgI #onlinesafety #ChildProtection #Cybersecurity #TeenSafety
Cambodias Online Child Exploitation Crisis #MekongMatters Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-27 | In 2022 alone, 160.000 children were exploited online in Cambodia. Perpetrators blackmail their victims to get money directly from them or want more photos, which they sell online for more income. But some move the threats beyond the screen, linking online abuse to physical trafficking. Watch the full video: youtu.be/7mskf3WRRgI #ChildExploitation #Cambodia #OnlineSafety #HumanTrafficking #EndAbuse
A Youth Leader’s Fight Against Online Abuse in Cambodia | Mekong Matters Podcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-27 | In this episode of Mekong Matters, Mearodey Men, a member of the Girl Leadership Council at AusCam Freedom Project (@auscamfreedomproject7327) shares her firsthand experience in combating online child exploitation and human trafficking in Cambodia. She discusses the risks facing children in a quickly evolving digital world—especially teenagers—how perpetrators groom victims, and the role of social media platforms like Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram in facilitating abuse.Learn about the challenging societal expectations and the urgent need for stronger law enforcement, digital literacy, and tech company accountability. Discover how AusCam Freedom Project provides 24/7 support, legal advice, and mental health resources to survivors and at-risk youth.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction: The current Situation of Child Online Exploitation in Cambodia01:21 – Grooming: How and Why are Perpetrators establishing a Connection?02:22 – Beyond the Screen: What are the Links between Online and Physical Exploitation04:13 – Online Platforms: Monetization of Content and Reporting Mechanisms05:48 – Societal Expectations: Gender Norms and Victim Blaming07:36 – Prevention and Protection: The Fight against Exploitation and Systemic ChallengesThis podcast has been funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views expressed in this publication are the author's alone and are not necessarily the views of the Australian Government.
Does the Balkan Cartel actually exist? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-25 | The Balkan Cartel a term that has been used since 2018 to describe a criminal alliance involving criminals from the Balkan region. Slobodan Kostovski is a prominent drug trafficker from the region, with links to South America, who has just been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Escaping a prison in Brazil and evading Interpol, it is a significant verdict in Serbia. He has been dubbed as a member of the so-called Balkan Cartel. However, our research shows that while there are cartels and mafia-style groups operating in the region, there isn't a cartel which oversees the whole region.Read more: riskbulletins.globalinitiative.net/see-obs-010/02-debunking-myth-of-existence-of-balkan-cartel.html
The Broker Behind the Cartels Fentanyl Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-24 | Cartels called him the "king of fentanyl."Zhang Zhidong moved to Mexico in 2010 with a Spanish degree from Peking University and a job at a Chinese-owned mining company. US prosecutors now accuse him of running a massive narcotics trafficking and money laundering organisation across Mexico and the United States.He wasn't a chemist. He wasn't a cartel boss. He was a broker, the interface between Chinese chemical suppliers and the cartels, and understanding that role explains why fentanyl has been so hard to stop.Zhang was arrested in Mexico in October 2024, escaped house arrest through a hole in the wall, fled to Cuba by private jet and on to Russia on forged documents, and was extradited to the United States in 2025. He is awaiting trial. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.We asked Jason Eligh, Senior Expert on Drugs and Drug Markets at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, what his arrest actually changed, why the chemicals behind fentanyl are almost always completely legal, and why taking out one broker rarely dents the supply for long.00:00 The "Fentanyl King"00:32 What fentanyl is01:00 How it's made01:15 Who is Zhang Zhidong02:00 Why the chemicals come from China02:16 The chemicals are legal02:57 Arrest, escape, extradition03:25 Why brokers matter04:49 Did the arrest change anything?05:28 What would actually work
Bigger Than One Dismissal Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-24 | Ukraine's Defence Minister was dismissed. Days later, so was the army's commander-in-chief. Mykhailo Fedorov alleges he met strong internal resistance while trying to reform defense procurement. Those are his allegations, not established facts but they echo concerns that criminal networks are moving into miltech and defense.Wartime spending creates enormous opportunities for abuse. Financial crimes are the fastest-growing criminal market worldwide, and Ukraine scores 7/10 on the Organized Crime Index.This is bigger than one dismissal. It's a test of whether allegations get investigated and people get held accountable.
Alleged mastermind behind Daphne Caruana Galizias murder on trial Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-22 | Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a powerful car bomb just minutes after leaving her home on 16 October 2017. Nearly nine years later, businessman Yorgen Fenech, the alleged mastermind behind her assassination, is standing trial.Caruana Galizia was one of Malta's most prominent investigative journalists, widely known for reporting on the Panama Papers.Fenech headed one of Malta's largest business groups and had close ties to the country's political establishment. Although he was not a central focus of Caruana Galizia's reporting, she uncovered links between him and a offshore company.The trial is extraordinary. Our research shows that those who commission contract killings are rarely brought to justice. That is why this case matters far beyond Malta.
Beware: Counterfeit Drugs & Online Scams #TheIndexPodcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-18 | Some turn to illicit means for painkillers, sleeping pills, or ADHD medication, sometimes with tragic consequences due to contamination like fentanyl. Don't risk your health.#healthcare #drugsafety #opioidcrisis #benzodiazepines #adderall #fentanyl
Europes biggest MDMA bust wasnt headed for a dancefloor Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-17 | Spanish and Dutch police have revealed the largest MDMA seizure ever recorded in Europe: 859kg of MDMA plus 88kg of ecstasy pills, hidden inside a crane bound for Ghana.These drugs were the payment itself, traded straight for cocaine, with the exchange set to take place in West Africa. This is the first seizure evidence of large-scale ecstasy-for-cocaine swaps running through the region, a trend researchers suspect has been operating for years.Kingsley Madueke, Nigeria Research Coordinator at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, explains what happened and why it matters.0:00 Europe's biggest-ever MDMA/Ecstasy seizure0:30 Hidden in a crane: the route to West Africa0:58 Who ran it, and the two-way drug flow1:30 How synthetic drugs rewrote the trade1:58 Why traffickers pay for cocaine with ecstasy3:01 What it means for West Africa4:01 What would actually helpRead more: globalinitiative.net/analysis/mapping-drug-markets-in-west-africa
How Russian Organized Crime at home and abroad have drifted apart | Russian Organized Crime | Ep. 7 Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-16 | In the last episode of the series, expert Mark Galeotti examines how Russia's war in Ukraine and sweeping Western sanctions have fractured Russian criminal networks — severing tight links between gangs abroad and their home networks, and forcing a shift to a looser, more transactional model of cooperation.In this series: Leading Russia expert Mark Galeotti answers the key questions about Russian organized crime — from its structure and reach to how geopolitics is reshaping it.In this episode:Why Russian criminal groups abroad are detaching from their home networksHow sanctions and closed borders are accelerating this splitWhy gangs in places like Spain are cutting loose from Saint PetersburgWhat the Sicilian–New York mafia model tells us about where Russian organized crime is headingWatch the full series:▶ Ep. 1 — How Has the Russia-Ukraine War Affected Organised Crime? | Russian Organized Crime | Ep. 1▶ Ep. 2 — How Sanctions Chaos Fuels Russian Organised Crime | Russian Organised Crime Ep. 2▶ Ep. 3 — How War Veterans Could Fuel Russian Organised Crime | Russian Organized Crime | Ep. 3▶ Ep. 4 — Are Russia's 'Wild 90s' Returning? Crime, Veterans & Putin's Failure | Russian Organized Crime Ep. 4▶ Ep. 5 — How Is the War in Ukraine Fuelling Gun Crime in Russia? | Russian Organised Crime | Ep. 5▶ Ep. 6 — How Russia Uses Organised Crime to Bust Sanctions | Russian Organised Crime Ep. 6▶ Ep. 7 — How Russian Organized Crime at home and abroad have drifted apart | Russian Organized Crime Ep. 7#RussianOrganizedCrime #MarkGaleotti #OrganizedCrime #Russia #Sanctions #Mafia #SecurityStudies #Geopolitics
Haitis Crisis – Supporting NGOs Amidst Chaos Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-13 | Haiti is experiencing the most severe security and humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere—a crisis that forces us to rethink how international responses address organized crime, conflict and peace operations.Communities are facing food insecurity, escalating sexual violence, restricted access to basic services, and constant exposure to violence. At the same time, many are developing local forms of survival, mediation, information sharing and resistance.Our colleagues Mélodie Cerin and Kareen Ulysse share insights into the realities on the ground and explain why it is important to understand who the actors are within each community.Civil society organizations are deeply connected to affected communities and understand local risks, while providing essential healthcare and safe spaces. They know how violence spreads, how fear circulates, how displacement reshapes neighbourhoods, and where small but vital forms of protection can still be built.This knowledge is strategic. It helps identify what communities can absorb, where interventions may create new risks, and where support can strengthen local capacities rather than replace them.Haiti does need security. But it also needs a strategy that supports local organizations and plans for what comes next.#HaitiCrisis #CivilSociety #SecurityResponse #OrganizedCrime #GIResilience
Where Do Stolen Crown Jewels Actually Go? Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-13 | At 5:30 AM on July 5th, masked thieves broke into the Lalique Museum in France and escaped with around €4 million in jewellery, months after the Louvre lost €88 million in crown jewels in under ten minutes.These aren't isolated incidents. Europe's museums have become a prime target for organized crime, and current security wasn't built for this threat.In this video: what actually happens to stolen art and jewels: from melted-down gold and re-cut stones, to paintings used as criminal "insurance," to theft-to-order for private collectors. And why the Louvre thieves left the most valuable diamond in the room untouched.Read more: globalinitiative.net/analysis/louvre-cultural-heritage-criminal-currency#museumheist #louvre #truecrime #organizedcrime #arttheft #artheist #robbery
Contaminated Cough Syrup: Fake Ingredients and Falsified Checks #TheIndexPodcast Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-11 | Contaminated cough and teething syrups, including industrial solvents like antifreeze, have led to hundreds of child deaths globally. Fake ingredients and falsified checks at manufacturer levels create a complex, deadly supply chain. #drugsafety #publichealth #Contaminated #childsafety #supplychainissues
Whats Happening: When Wars Weapon Becomes Crimes Tool Organized Crime Dispatch (by GI-TOC) 2026-07-10 | War drives innovation. In Ukraine, that innovation is drone. It's not just reshaping the battlefield, it's reshaping crime.A July 7th drug seizure points to drones being used to move product across borders. For a year, GI-TOC has tracked organized crime adopting drone capabilities: smuggling drugs across borders, firebombing rivals' homes, running surveillance along frontiers, even trafficking drones out of the country. Where's the capability coming from? Criminal networks are copying it, buying it, and recruiting it — targeting demobilized soldiers for their skills, combat experience, and military training.As more veterans return from the front, we expect this threat to grow. It's one more way organized crime is weaponizing new technology in Ukraine. Read GI TOC's full report here: globalinitiative.net/analysis/crime-by-drone-a-new-paradigm-for-organized-crime#shorts
