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Organised Crime

Our research explores the scale and nature of organised crime and the harm that it causes to governments, business and the wider public.

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.

Nuclear Reactions

The outgoing Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, giving his valedictory speech to RUSI in February. Courtesy of RUSI.

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: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, UK, Organised Crime
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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, Technology
Scanner image of a truck at the port of Gdynia. Courtesy of the Customs Chamber in Gdynia, Poland.

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Tobacco, Alcohol and Pharmaceuticals

Whitehall Reports, 23 March 2017

Clare 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.

Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, European Union, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Europe
Piraeus port in Athens, Greece. The scale of operations at the port makes monitoring the content of incoming containers a challenge, especially given the lack of necessary scanning equipment. Courtesy of Jeffrey/CC 2.0.

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Greece: Country Report

Occasional Papers, 20 February 2017

Calum 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 case study.

Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Europe
Banner image: Algeciras port is one of Europe’s busiest container docks: in 2015 nearly 3 million containers passed through the port. A single container concealing illicit goods can hold 10 million cigarettes, the equivalent of 50,000 cartons. Courtesy of

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Spain: Country Report

Occasional Papers, 26 January 2017

Clare Ellis

This is the second 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 Spain as a case study.

Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Europe

Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa: Myths and Realities

Whitehall Papers, 30 November 2016

Edited by Cathy Haenlein and M L R Smith

A multidimensional approach is needed to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking and the security and environmental challenges that they have created.

Tags: Illicit Trade, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Global Security Issues, Africa

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The Human Smuggling–Trafficking Nexus: Defining the Relationship to Help Disrupt Criminal Networks and their Profits

Commentary, 26 April 2016

Anne-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 2015

Cathy 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 2015

Inês 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 2015

Tom 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, Organised Crime, Terrorism, Organised Crime, Terrorism

Navigating Sanctions: HM Treasury Guides Half the Way

Commentary, 30 July 2015

Tom Keatinge

The UK Summer Budget provided more detail and commitment of HM Treasury’s plans to establish an Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. It is a welcome initiative but needs to ensure both compliance and critically, facilitate continued trade, if it is to succeed.

Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Sanctions, Organised Crime, Organised Crime

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2016 Year Ahead - Financial Crime and Terrorist Financing

Multimedia, 21 December 2015
Tom Keatinge, Director, Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, RUSI

Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, UK Counter-terrorism, Organised Crime, UK

2016 Year Ahead: Countering the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Multimedia, 18 December 2015
Cathy Haenlein, Research Fellow, National Security and Resilience

Tags: National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Africa
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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...

Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Cyber, AML/CTF, Occasional Papers, Cyber Security, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Technology
Scanner image of a truck at the port of Gdynia. Courtesy of the Customs Chamber in Gdynia, Poland.

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Tobacco, Alcohol and Pharmaceuticals

Whitehall Reports, 23 March 2017

Clare 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
Piraeus port in Athens, Greece. The scale of operations at the port makes monitoring the content of incoming containers a challenge, especially given the lack of necessary scanning equipment. Courtesy of Jeffrey/CC 2.0.

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Greece: Country Report

Occasional Papers, 20 February 2017

Calum 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, Europe
Banner image: Algeciras port is one of Europe’s busiest container docks: in 2015 nearly 3 million containers passed through the port. A single container concealing illicit goods can hold 10 million cigarettes, the equivalent of 50,000 cartons. Courtesy of

On Tap Europe: Organised Crime and Illicit Trade in Spain: Country Report

Occasional Papers, 26 January 2017

Clare Ellis

This is the second 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 Spain as a...

Occasional Papers, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Organised Crime, Europe

Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa: Myths and Realities

Whitehall Papers, 30 November 2016

Edited by Cathy Haenlein and M L R Smith

A multidimensional approach is needed to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking and the security and environmental challenges that they have created.

Illicit Trade, Whitehall Papers, National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime, Global Security Issues, Africa

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BY INVITATION ONLY: Modern Slavery: Creating Slavery Free Cities

Events, 18 May 2017

This 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, Organised Crime, UK, National Security, Organised Crime

Whitehall Paper Launch: Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa: Myths and Realities

Events, 12 January 2017

RUSI 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

Real Estate and Money Laundering: What are the Key Challenges and How is the Sector Tackling Them?

Events, 6 December 2016

This Breakfast Briefing will explore the challenges posed by illicit funds moving through the property market, and examine how the sector has responded.

Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, AML/CTF, Organised Crime

The Future of Policing in the Digital Age

Conference, 21 June 2016

This year RUSI will convene a major conference entitled The Future of Policing in the Digital Age, bringing together policy makers and senior police officers with academic and industry experts.

Cyber, National Security and Resilience Studies, Cyber Security, Organised Crime, Risk and Resilience, UK, Domestic Security, UK Defence Policy, Organised Crime, Resilience, Technology

A speech by Lynne Owens, Director General of the National Crime Agency

Events, 10 March 2016

In her speech, Lynne Owens, newly appointed Director General of the National Crime Agency, outlined her vision on how the agency should develop and flex its capabilities, in order to make the UK a...

National Security and Resilience Studies, Organised Crime

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