Illicit Trade, Trafficking, and Illicit Financial Flows
Global illicit flows take diverse forms that are frequently interlinked, driven by organised crime and able to generate substantial proceeds, posing a significant threat to international security.
RUSI’s research explores the nature of the threat from global illicit flows, the harm they cause and how best to respond. These flows cross multiple jurisdictions worldwide, encompassing trafficking in drugs, weapons, humans and wildlife, as well as a range of lower-risk crimes such as illicit trade in counterfeit and other commodities, whose harm is more difficult to demonstrate. The flows generate substantial illicit financial movements, which undercut development, undermine national economies and fuel further insecurity. Our work provides robust research and analysis to better understand these threats and help governments, law-enforcement agencies and compliance officials to respond more effectively.
Research programmes
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Our work on organised crime and corruption explores the dynamics of illicit markets and the drivers and enablers that sustain them in order to inform effective policy responses.
Latest publications
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Tom Keatinge
Director, CFS
Centre for Finance and Security
Cathy Haenlein
Director of Organised Crime and Policing Studies
Organised Crime and Policing
Anne-Marie Weeden
Senior Research Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Organised Crime and Policing
Charlotte Davies
Research Fellow
Organised Crime and Policing
Eliza Lockhart
Research Fellow
Centre for Finance and Security
Jennifer Scotland
Research Analyst
Organised Crime and Policing
Alastair Greig
Research Analyst
Organised Crime and Policing
Mark Williams
Programme Manager | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Organised Crime and Policing
Fellows
Olivia Allison
Associate Fellow; Independent Consultant
Professsor Felia Allum
Senior Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Julien Bastrup-Birk
Associate Fellow - Expertise in transnational threats, organised crime, illicit finance, and hybrid warfare
Chris Batt
RUSI Senior Associate Fellow
Karen Baxter
Senior Associate Fellow; Director, Financial Conduct Authority
David Carlisle
Associate Fellow; Independent Consultant
Dr Alexander Chance
Associate Fellow - specialising in transnational organised crime and corruption
Isabella Chase
Associate Fellow; Former CFCS Senior Research Fellow, RUSI
Samuel Coates
Senior Associate Fellow
Jessica Davis
Associate Fellow; President and Principal Consultant with Insight Threat Intelligence
Catherine Dill
Associate Fellow
Jan Dunin-Wasowicz
Associate Fellow; Partner, Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
Ian Dyson QPM
Distinguished Fellow; Former Commissioner, City of London Police
Michael Fuller QPM BA MBA LLM Hon LLD
Distinguished Fellow
James Gillespie
Associate Fellow; Former Policy Advisor, HM Treasury
Sir David Green CB KC
Distinguished Fellow; Partner, Cohen & Gresser; Former Director, UK Serious Fraud Office
Jalel Harchaoui
Associate Fellow
Dr Andi Hoxhaj OBE
Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Kayla Izenman
Associate Fellow; Former CFCS Research Fellow, RUSI
Dr Sasha Jesperson
Associate Fellow
Xolisile Khanyile
Senior Associate Fellow
Genevieve Kotarska
RUSI Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Aidan Larkin
Associate Fellow; Founder & CEO, Asset Reality
Professor Michael Levi
Senior Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
David Lewis
Senior Associate Fellow
Erin Lubowicz
Associate Fellow
Anton Moiseienko
Associate Fellow; Lecturer in Law, Australian National University
Robert Norfolk-Whittaker
Associate Fellow; UN Consultant
Dr Alexandra Phelan
Associate Fellow
Matthew Redhead
Senior Associate Fellow; Financial crime consultant and researcher
Alexandria Reid
Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Shane Roberts
RUSI Senior Research Fellow; SHOC Network Member - Practitioner
Sir Mark Rowley
Distinguished Fellow
Denisse Rudich
Associate Fellow; Founder and Executive Director, Rudich Advisory
Sergii Rybchenko
Associate Fellow
Josie Stewart
Associate Fellow; researcher and writer, independent consultant and advisor.
Dr Alex Sutherland
Associate Fellow
BC Tan
RUSI Senior Associate Fellow
Martin Verrier
Associate Fellow | SHOC Network Member - Practitioner / Researcher
Dr Jodi Vittori
Associate Fellow; Research and Policy Manager, Defence and Security Programme, Transparency International
Sir Rob Wainwright KCMG
Distinguished Fellow
Dr Timothy Wittig
Associate Fellow - Expert on wildlife trafficking, illicit economies, and terrorist/threat finance
Simon York CBE
Senior Associate Fellow; Former Chief Investigation Officer and Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC
