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Organised crime is a threat to national security and public safety. It is a multi-billion pound business that undermines political authority and devastates communities. The programme aims to ensure that policymakers, practitioners and members of the public are informed of the threat, government interventions are effective and value for money is achieved.
Reflecting the transnational nature of the threat, the National Security and Resilience group’s current organised crime research spans the UK, West Africa, Latin America and across Europe. This includes the Cocaine Route Monitoring and Support (CORMS) and the Critical Maritime Routes (CRIMSON) programmes, conducted on behalf of the European Commission.
Contacts
Senior Research Fellow, National Security and Resilience +44 (0) 20 7747 4975
A Missing Page: Strengthening the Response to the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Commentary, 11 October 2018
Tom Keatinge, Cathy Haenlein and Alexandria Reid
The continued failure to target the proceeds of the illegal wildlife trade is undermining the response to this transnational crime.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime, Africa
Europe’s illicit cigarette trade is a major loss of tax revenue despite a declining trend, new study finds
News, 31 July 2018
The latest KPMG study commissioned by RUSI reveals that almost 45 billion illicit cigarettes were consumed in Europe in 2017, despite a 7.4% decline on 2016 figures. This equates to €10 billion in lost tax revenues for governments, with illicit cigarettes accounting for 8.7% of total consumption in 2017.
Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime, Europe
Research Programme into Disrupting Wildlife-Linked Illicit Financial Flows in East and Southern Africa
News, 24 May 2018
RUSI is launching a new research and training programme focussed on disrupting the illicit funds earned from the illegal wildlife trade in East and Southern Africa, with a focus on Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime
On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Italy: Country Report
Occasional Papers, 13 December 2017
Aurora Ganz and Cathy Haenlein
This is the fifth and last in a series of five country-level papers on the role of organised crime groups in the illicit trade in tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals across Europe, focusing on Italy as a case study.
Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime
Policing the Digital Metropolis: Technology and the Metropolitan Police Service
Newsbrief, 26 April 2017
Alexander Babuta
Only when the Met chooses to embrace new technologies will it realise its goal of becoming, in its own words, ‘the first truly digital police force’.
Tags: Policing and Security, National Security and Resilience Studies, UK, Organised Crime, Organised Crime
Virtual Currencies and Financial Crime: Challenges and Opportunities
Occasional Papers, 27 March 2017
David Carlisle
The rapid rise of Bitcoin has prompted extensive discussion about the nexus between virtual currencies and financial crime. This paper examines the financial crime risks involving virtual currencies, the challenges that come with attempting to address those risks, and considers the implications for key stakeholders.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Cyber, AML/CTF, Cyber Security, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, TechnologyPages
A Missing Page: Strengthening the Response to the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Commentary, 11 October 2018Tom Keatinge, Cathy Haenlein and Alexandria Reid
The continued failure to target the proceeds of the illegal wildlife trade is undermining the response to this transnational crime.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime, Africa
The Human Smuggling–Trafficking Nexus: Defining the Relationship to Help Disrupt Criminal Networks and their Profits
Commentary, 26 April 2016Anne-Marie Barry
Human trafficking and people smuggling remain low-risk, high-reward crimes. To turn them into high-risk, low-reward crimes the financial networks of the criminal groups involved need to be disrupted. This cannot be done without conceptual clarity on the distinctions and the convergences between trafficking and smuggling.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Organised Crime
Trafficking Illegal Ivory in East Africa
Commentary, 7 September 2015Cathy Haenlein
Organised crime, rather than terrorism, is the greatest threat to elephants and other species in East Africa. Our primary focus should be on the organised crime groups and corrupt actors known to drive the vast ivory trade across the region.
Horn of Africa, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Terrorism, Africa
Anti-Money Laundering and its Challenges
Commentary, 19 August 2015Inês Sofia de Oliveira
International anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism finance (AML/CTF) standards are largely governed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF’s strength rests on its ability to demonstrate that its efforts are advancing global AML/CTF. But is FATF free from challenges to its own existence?
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime
Terror on the Cheap: Financing Lone Actor and Small Cell Attacks
Commentary, 17 August 2015Tom Keatinge
As recent reports highlight the increasing risk of Daesh-inspired lone actor or small cell homeland terrorist attacks, an urgent recalibration of terrorist-finance disruption efforts is required to include both funds flowing to Syria/Iraq and those raised to be used at home.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Terrorism, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, TerrorismPages
2016 Year Ahead - Financial Crime and Terrorist Financing
Multimedia, 21 December 2015 Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, UK Counter-terrorism, UK, Organised Crime
2016 Year Ahead: Responding to Illict Flows
Multimedia, 18 December 2015Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime
2016 Year Ahead: Countering the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Multimedia, 18 December 2015 Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Africa
On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Italy: Country Report
Occasional Papers, 13 December 2017Aurora Ganz and Cathy Haenlein
This is the fifth and last in a series of five country-level papers on the role of organised crime groups in the illicit trade in tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals across Europe, focusing on Italy...
Occasional Papers, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime
Policing the Digital Metropolis: Technology and the Metropolitan Police Service
Newsbrief, 26 April 2017Alexander Babuta
Only when the Met chooses to embrace new technologies will it realise its goal of becoming, in its own words, ‘the first truly digital police force’.
Policing and Security, Newsbrief, National Security and Resilience Studies, UK, Organised Crime, Organised Crime
Virtual Currencies and Financial Crime: Challenges and Opportunities
Occasional Papers, 27 March 2017David Carlisle
The rapid rise of Bitcoin has prompted extensive discussion about the nexus between virtual currencies and financial crime. This paper examines the financial crime risks involving virtual currencies...
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Cyber, AML/CTF, Occasional Papers, Cyber Security, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Technology
On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Tobacco, Alcohol and Pharmaceuticals
Whitehall Reports, 23 March 2017Clare Ellis
This is the final report in a series of papers on the role of organised crime groups in the illicit trade of tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals across Europe.
Whitehall Reports, National Security and Resilience Studies, European Union, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Europe
On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Greece: Country Report
Occasional Papers, 20 February 2017Calum Jeffray
This is the third in a series of five country-level papers on the role of organised crime groups in the illicit trade of tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals across Europe, focusing on Greece as a...
Occasional Papers, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, EuropePages
A Discussion with David Green CB QC
Events, 30 January 2018A discussion with David Green CB QC, Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), hosted by RUSI's Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, UK, Organised Crime, Law and Ethics, Organised Crime
Virtual Currencies and the Future of Money Laundering
Events, 26 September 2017As part of RUSI’s Strategic Hub for Organised Crime Research workshop series, this event will examine the potential impact of virtual currencies and Fintech platforms on the future of money...
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Cyber, AML/CTF, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Illicit Trade, Organised Crime, Technology
Paper Launch - Follow the Money: Using Financial Investigation to Combat Wildlife Crime
Events, 11 September 2017The launch of a RUSI Occasional Paper exploring financial dimensions of wildlife crime, and the need to disrupt the financial networks of those engaged in this crime.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Global Security Issues, Organised Crime, Organised Crime
BY INVITATION ONLY: Modern Slavery: Creating Slavery Free Cities
Events, 18 May 2017This meeting explores how cooperation with the financial sector on identification and disruption of human trafficking can support the creation of the UK's first slavery-free city and county.
Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, UK, Organised Crime, National Security, Organised Crime
Whitehall Paper Launch: Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa: Myths and Realities
Events, 12 January 2017RUSI marked the launch of a landmark study giving the most detailed picture yet of the range of security threats posed by poaching and wildlife trafficking.
Organised Crime, Africa
In Context podcast - Episode 2: Baroness Ashton
A Missing Page: Strengthening the Response to the Illegal Wildlife Trade
Ukraine’s Security and Its Importance for the UK