In March this year, gangs of armed men on motorcycles descended on a school in north-western state of Kaduna in Nigeria, kidnapping over 280 children. In the same week a similar mass kidnapping took place in the north-eastern state of Borno.Over the past few years, kidnappings have been a real issue in Nigeria, but have recently been in decline. So, who is behind these kidnappings? And why are they targeting these communities?Kidnappings have contributed to the rise in extortion and protection racketeering in Nigeria, according to the Global Organized Crime Index, it is the highest in West Africa at 8/10.Overall, Nigeria has very high levels of criminality - on the African continent it sits 2nd and 6th globally, with a score of 7.28 out of 10. Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Kingsley L. Madueke, Nigeria Research Coordinator, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeLawan Danjuma Adamu, Northern Nigeria Field Coordinator, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeLinks:https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/mass-abductions-kidnappings-nigeria/https://riskbulletins.globalinitiative.net/wea-obs-005/01-armed-bandits-extort-crop-farmers.html https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/non-state-armed-groups-illicit-economies-west-africa/ OC Index Country profiles:Nigeria Country ProfileThe Global Organized Crime IndexGITOC - West Africa and the Sahel Observatory (WEA-Obs)Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Brazil has long had a problem with mafia-style groups, according to the Global Organized Crime Index, with 8 out of 10, that places the country 3rd in South America.One such group are the so-called militias, made up of former and serving members of military police or law enforcement. The militias groups have sought to profit from the housing market , with many residents facing the threat of violence, and even expulsion from their homes. Alongside this, militias have seeped into other markets, controlling access to utilities such as water, electricity and internet connectivity. According to the Global Organized Crime Index, levels of extortion and protection racketeering are high, at 7 out of 10. These numbers contribute to the high overall criminality score for Brazil at 6.77 out of 10, placing them 22nd globally.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Antonio Sampaio, Thematic Lead on Cities & Illicit Economies at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.Nicholas Pope, Research fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College LondonLinks:Coercive brokers: Militias and urban governance in Rio de JaneiroOC Index Country profiles:Brazil Country ProfileThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Montenegrin organized crime groups have risen through the criminal underworld to become key components of the global cocaine trade. From Latin America to global shipping, and from ports to European markets, they control the entire chain.But with such a lucrative trade comes violence. Over the last decade, several dozen Montenegrins and Serbians have been killed across Europe in a bloody feud between two criminal groups - the Škaljari clan and the Kavač Clan, both originating from the small Adriatic town of Kotor. According to the Global Organized Crime Index, Montenegro ranks 5th in terms of criminality out of 44 countries in Europe, with the cocaine trade being it’s most prevalent criminal market at a score of 7 out of 10.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Marko Vešović, Journalist & Editor of the daily newspaper DAN Montenegro, and member of the GI Network.Links:(GI Video) Montenegro's Cocaine War: Rival Clans, Illicit Markets, and Assassinations(GI Paper) Spot Prices: Analyzing flows of people, drugs and money in the Western Balkans(GI Paper) The cocaine pipeline to EuropeŠkaljari clanKavač ClanOC Index Country profiles:MontenegroThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

The gold mining sector in West Africa has increased significantly in recent years. But this is also a region bereft by political instability following several recent coups, extremist groups, foreign criminal actors and organized crime networks all operate here, artisanal and small-scale miners are often targeted by such groups.According to the Global Organized Crime Index, there are high levels of criminality across the region in non-renewable resource crimes, the category which illegal gold mining falls under. Burkina Faso reaches 8.5 out of 10; Mali, 8 out of 10.Whereas Resilience levels across the region are low, but particularly in Mali, at just 2.38 out of 10.In this episode Thin will discuss the differences between informal and illegal gold mining, and the role criminal groups play in exploiting miners across West Africa, and the possibility of formalising the informal gold mining sector.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Gideon Ofosu-Peasah, Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeMarcena Hunter, Thematic Lead on Extractives and Illicit Flows, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeLinks:(GI Paper) Learnings from West Africa’s regional experiences in the gold sectorOC Index Country profiles:MaliBurkina FasoGhanaGuineaThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Papua New Guinea, the island nation in Oceania, is rich in biodiversity. But the rainforests that cover the country are also sought after by logging companies, sometimes illegally. PNG is the largest exporter of timber to China, where it is then distributed around the world.There are a number of criminal markets that are particularly prevalent in PNG - financial crimes, human trafficking, non-renewable resource crime. But in this episode, we will focus on illegal logging, because Papua New Guinea sits second globally for flora crimes at 8.5 out of 10.Presenter: Thin Lei WinGuest: Eddie Tanago Paine from ACT NOW! For A Better Papua New GuineaLinks:OC Index - Papua New Guinea country profile.The Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeAdditional Links:Mongabay - Logging, road construction continue to fuel forest loss in Papua New GuineaThe Guardian - From a forest in Papua New Guinea to a floor in Sydney: how China is getting rich off Pacific timberGlobal Witness - In a historic win, Papua New Guinea acts against logging tax cheats. What happens next?Al Jazeera - Papua New Guinea’s forests are being destroyedThe Guardian - Papua New Guinea landowners fight against logging

The small Caribbean nation of Haiti has seen a surge in gang violence over the past few years. According to the Global Organized Crime Index, there is a high level of mafia-style groups (8.5 out of 10). These gangs have captured large swathes of the economy. With names like G-Pep, 400 Mawozo, Baz Pilate, and G9, these gangs compete for control, leading this conflict to be described as the "world’s most dangerous gang war".Haiti has the highest levels of criminality in the Caribbean. Arms trafficking, human trafficking, cocaine trafficking, and financial crimes are all over 7.5 out of 10. More troubling still is that its resilience score is very low - at 2.46 out of 10, which places Haiti at 174 out of 193 countries.In this episode we will discuss the criminal governance of the gangs, and how difficult it is for civil society to operate in the country.Presenter: Thin Lei WinGuest: A civil society member in Haiti.Links:Haiti Country Profile(Podcast) UN & Organized Crime Podcast - Gang violence and the human rights and security crisis in Haiti(GI Paper) Gangs of Haiti: Expansion, power and an escalating crisis(GI paper) Gang control and security vacuums: Assessing gender-based violence in Cité Soleil, Haiti(GI Blog) New sanctions target Haiti gangstersThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeAdditional Linkshttps://haitiantimes.com/gangs-in-haiti-a-deeper-look/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/haiti-gang-violence-crisis-g9-g-pep-1234871794/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/21/haiti-jimmy-barbecue-cherizier-overthrow-prime-minister-ariel-henryhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/28/haiti-gangs-food-access-farming

The Global Organized Crime Index features two new indicators - Cybercrime and Financial Crimes. In this episode Thin sits down with the Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Chainalysis, Jacqueline Koven, to discuss a topic that straddles both of these indicators, money laundering through cryptocurrency.According to Chainalysis, nearly $23.8 billion dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency was laundered in 2022, a 68% increase on the previous year.Presenter: Thin Lei WinGuest: Jacqueline Koven, the Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence at Chainalysis.Links:Russia country profileNorth Korea country profileIran country profileThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeThe Chainalysis 2023 Crypto Crime ReportRussian Cybercriminals Drive Significant Ransomware and Cryptocurrency-based Money Laundering Activity - https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2022-crypto-crime-report-preview-russia-ransomware-money-laundering/OFAC Sanctions Russian National Ekaterina Zhdanova for Using Cryptocurrency to Launder Money on Behalf of Russian Elites and Ransomware Groups - https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/ofac-russia-crypto-money-laundering-sanctions-2023/Privacy Coins 101: Anonymity-Enhanced Cryptocurrencies - https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/privacy-coins-anonymity-enhanced-cryptocurrencies/Crypto Mixer Usage Reaches All-time Highs in 2022, With Nation State Actors and Cybercriminals Contributing Significant Volume - https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/crypto-mixer-criminal-volume-2022/Crypto Needs Comprehensive Policies to Protect Economies and Investors - https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2023/07/18/crypto-needs-comprehensive-policies-to-protect-economies-and-investors

The assassination of Ecuadorean presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio in August this year made international headlines. A campaigner who railed against organized crime and corruption, his murder in Quito was one act in a downward spiral of violence in Ecuador. Local gangs and international criminal organisations have increased their influence in politics, worsening already low-public trust in state institutions. Over the course of two years, according to the Global Organized Crime Index, Ecuador’s criminality score has risen sharply, and globally it now sits 11th, levels of resilience fared no better and have dipped significantly.In this episode, Thin will delve into these Index scores and discuss organized crime, politics, and the increase in violence in Ecuador.Presenter: Thin Lei WinGuest: Renato Rivera, Coordinador Observatorio Ecuatoriano de Crimen OrganizadoLinks:Ecuador Country ProfileObservatorio Ecuatoriano de Crimen OrganizadoThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeBBC News: Candidate in Ecuador's presidential election Fernando Villavicencio shot deadEl País: Mexican cartels linked to Ecuador violence: ‘Criminals have an incentive to say they belong to a renowned group’The Guardian: ‘We should treat it as a war’: Ecuador’s descent into drug gang violenceAl Jazeera: Ecuador gang boss who threatened Villavicencio moved to high-security jail

Myanmar in Southeast Asia topped the global list for levels of criminality (8.15/10) in the latest Global Organized Crime Index. From arms trafficking (9/10) to the synthetic drugs trade(10/10), and mafia-style groups (9.5/10) to state-embedded actors (9/10), Myanmar has high levels almost across the board for criminal markets and actors.The country is also resource rich - gold, jade, precious stones, and rare earth minerals, essential to the technologies driving the green transition around the world. But, this mining industry is controlled by armed groups, the ruling military government, and predatory companies, who exploit workers, poison the environment, violently crack down on civil society, and horde illicit wealth.In this episode Thin Lei Win discusses illegal rare earth mineral mining in Myanmar with Clare Hammond, Investigative Journalist and Senior Campaigner at Global Witness, and author of the report ‘Myanmar’s poisoned mountains: The toxic rare earth mining industry at the heart of the global green energy transition’.Presenter: Thin Lei WinGuest: Clare Hammond, Global Witness.Links:Myanmar Country ProfileThe Global Organized Crime IndexGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGlobal Witness - Myanmar’s poisoned mountains: The toxic rare earth mining industry at the heart of the global green energy transition.Radio Free Asia - Illegal mining of rare earth metals surges in northern MyanmarThe Telegraph - Increase in rare-earth mining in Myanmar may be funding junta

The category of 'Financial Crime' is to be added to the upcoming version of the Global Organized Crime Index. In this bonus episode Thin sits down with Nick Lewis, the Global Head of Integrated Intelligence and Investigations at Standard Charter Bank, to discuss the difficulties of financial crime investigations and what is needed to improve the situation.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Nick Lewis (OBE), Global Head at Integrated Intelligence and Investigations at Standard Chartered Bank and also the Managing Director for its High Risk Client Unit for conduct, financial crime and compliance. Nick has extensive experience in law enforcement, first joining the North Wales Police in 1982 and has since been involved in numerous organisations and law enforcement divisions, including the Serious Organised Crime Agency, leading operations around the world in countering transnational organised crime.  Additional Links:United Kingdom country profileOCIndex.netGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

What are financial crimes? Once called 'White Collar Crimes', the term 'financial crimes' covers a broad range of forms of criminality - from financial fraud to tax evasion, and from illicit financial flows to money laundering. It is so often considered a victimless crime, but in reality that could not be further from the truth. Whether its a corrupt politician siphoning public money away and into tax havens, or unscrupulous financial institutions aiding the laundering of vast sums of illicit money - financial crimes cost the global economy trillions of dollars.In the new iteration of the Global Organized Crime Index, financial crimes, are defined as "organized crime that results in a financial loss to the state, entity and/or private individuals". That is the topic of this episode of The Index. Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Sangeeta Goswami – Policy Advocacy Adviser at Human Security Collective, a nonprofit foundation based in The Netherlands. Kristina Amerhauser – Programme manager at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, conducting research and analysis in the Asia-Pacific Observatory.Additional Links:OCIndex.netGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Do you ever think about where the chair you are sitting on came from? Or perhaps the electronic device you are using to listen to this podcast, where does the metals come from?The illegal extraction of non-renewable resources, like gold, timber, and rare earth minerals, has become a very lucrative and widespread criminal sector across the world – but it is particularly prevalent in natural-resource rich South America, which scores highest for non-renewable resource crimes.Organized criminal groups with their origins in drug trafficking have become part of this illicit market, and as a result the situation is only getting worse - and it affects all of us.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Flávia do Amaral Vieira, Senior Researcher at Plataforma Cipó in Brazil.Bram Ebus, criminologist, investigative journalist, and consultant at the International Crisis Group. Bram is also a member of the GI Network of Experts.Additional Links:OCIndex.netBrazil Country ProfileVenezuela Country ProfileColombia Country ProfilePeru Country ProfileEcuador Country ProfileArgentina Country ProfileUruguay Country ProfileChile Country ProfileBolivia Country ProfileParaguay Country ProfileGuyana Country ProfileSuriname Country ProfileMeasuring organized crime: A series of 13 discussion papers, one for each illicit market considered during the development of the Index.Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimePlataforma CipóInternational Crisis Group

For a long time the relationship between Africa and illicit drugs was little explored in comparison to other parts of the world – often seen as little more than a transit region for drugs going to other places – usually Europe.But our understanding has grown over recent years, as have the domestic markets for illicit drugs. In this episode we study the markets of East and Southern Africa, answering questions like: Are drugs limited to coastal regions? Do they penetrate the interior of this huge continent? Where does this region fit into the global drugs trade? Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Caryn Dolley, journalist and author of the book 'Clash of cartels: unmasking the global drug kingpins stalking South Africa.Bernice Apondi, policy manager at Voices for Community Action and Leadership in Kenya and a consultant in research and drug policy.Jason Eligh, Senior expert and Thematic Lead for Drugs at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeAdditional Links:OCIndex.netKenya ProfileTanzania ProfileMalawi ProfileMozambique ProfileZimbabwe ProfileZambia ProfileEswatini ProfileSouth Africa ProfileGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Mexico has long had a relationship with organized crime. The cartels and the war on drugs have been the subject of countless documentaries and popular dramatized television series. The images of extreme violence have been broadcast all over the world and the journalists that report on these events are often targeted for the work they do.But there is a counter balance to the violence and that's the brave and courageous civil society actors that battle extreme odds in an attempt to make life better. Sinaloa in Mexico was the birthplace of The Resilience Fund, which identifies civil society actors that do important work in their communities and helps them with building their capacity and financial support.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Siria Gastelum Félix, Director of Resilience at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeGriselda Triana, journalist, activist and human-rights defender. She is the founder of the Javier Valdez library in Mexico City and host of the radio programme Siempre Vivas, in which she interviews female journalists. She works to strengthen support networks for victims of violence against journalists in Mexico, and in 2019 she was a grantee of the GI-TOC’s Resilience Fund.Vania Pigeonutt, the co-founder of AMAPOLA PERIODISMO, an organisation that works to prevent extortion and also offers support to victims.  2021 Resilience Fund Grantee.Marlene León, Director of Iniciativa Sinaloa, a civil society group who managed to develop, campaign for and finally get an approval on a law for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists in Sinaloa.Additional Links:OCIndex.netMexico Country ProfileThe Resilience FundGriselda Triana - The forgotten ones, Relatives of murdered and disappeared journalists in Mexico (paper available in English and Spanish)Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

The small country of Tunisia was the origin of the Arab String, a wave of protests swept across North Africa and the Middle East in 2011. Over the proceeding decade Tunisia was hailed as one of the few that was able to make a peaceful transition. But over the last few years things have taken a turn for the worse, exemplified by an 11% turnout for the latest elections. According to Organized Crime Index, Tunisia has low levels of criminality but the current political situation has rang alarm bells and according to recent research from the GI-TOC migration from and through Tunisia rose to levels not seen since the months following the 2011 revolution.In this episode we're talking about Tunisia and human smuggling.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Tasnim Abderrahim, Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - LinkMatt Herbert, Senior Expert at the North Africa and Sahel Observatory, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - LinkAdditional Links:OCIndex.netTunisia Country Profile(Paper) Losing hope: Why Tunisians are leading the surge in irregular migration to EuropeGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

China's 'One Child Policy' was designed to curb an exploding population in 1980 with little thought given to the demographic impact this would have in the future. There have been many knock-on effects, including a huge gender imbalance. This in turn has made some Chinese men look to neighbouring countries, like Cambodia, in an effort to find a wife, fuelling an illicit market in what is known as 'bride trafficking'.The organized criminal networks that run these trafficking routes often trick women and girls with promises, but trap them, restrict their movements, threaten them with violence, forcing them to marry men they have never met or can even communicate with. Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Vireak Chhun, Independent Consultant and Researcher on Human TraffickingSean Sok Phay, Executive Director of Child Helpline Cambodia.Thi Hoang, Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime and Managing Editor of Journal of Illicit Economies and Development.Additional Links:OCIndex.netChina country profileCambodia country profileVietnam country profileCambodia’s trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in ChinaGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, IUU Fishing, is a multi-billion dollar industry with links to modern slavery, corruption, environmental destruction, weak governance, complex corporate structures, illicit financial flows, tax abuse and financial secrecy - which makes it a perfect environment for transnational organized criminal networks to operate.In this episode Thin is joined by two experts to discuss the impact of IUU fishing in the region of Oceania, which covers Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islanders - a region that relies in the fisheries industry.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Ian Urbina, Investigative journalist, Author and Director of The Outlaw Ocean Project - Twitter.Dr. Jade Lindley, Specialist in Transnational Organised Crime at the University Of Western Australia Law School and a member of the GI Network of Experts - Twitter.Additional Links:IUU Fishing IndexThe Outlaw Ocean ProjectOCIndex.netGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Over the past three years, Insight Crime have been investigating the relationship between the cocaine trade and Venezuela. Part of this investigation focuses in on the role of the state – some state actors who are actively involved, other senior state actors who allow and enable the cocaine to flow.According to the Global Organized Crime Index – Venezuela sits 18th out of 193 countries around the world for levels of criminality. And is one of only 16 countries that scored NINE or higher out of ten when it comes to state-embedded actors playing a role in illegal activities.In this episode Thin sits down with Jeremy McDermott, co-founder and co-director of Insight Crime to talk about their investigation and about the link between criminal actors and officials within the Venezuelan government.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Jeremy McDermott, Co-founder and Co-director of Insight Crime and member of the GI Network of Experts - TwitterMariana Botero Restrepo, Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - TwitterAdditional Links:Insight Crime investigation - "Venezuela’s Move to Cocaine Production: Crops, Chemists and Criminal Evolution"Venezuela ProfileOCIndex.netGlobal Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

How has organized crime changed between 2019 and 2021 on the African Continent? This huge continent boasts a wealth of natural resources, biodiversity and a young population. But Africa is also a key source and transit hub for illicit goods and behaviour - from human trafficking to arms smuggling and from the illegal wildlife trade to environmental crimes.In this episode Thin talks with Julian Rademeyer, the Director of the Civil Society Observatory of Illicit Economies in East and Southern Africa at the GI-TOC.Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Julian Rademeyer, Director of the Civil Society Observatory of Illicit Economies in East and Southern Africa and author of 'Killing for Profit – Exposing the Illegal Rhino Horn Trade'.Additional Links:(Paper) Evolution of Crime in a Covid World: A comparative analysis of organised crime in Africa, 2019–2021Africa Organized Crime IndexOCIndex.net

Ukraine has long been considered one of the largest arms trafficking markets in Europe, even before the current conflict. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, large stockpiles were left and fell into the hands of ordinary citizens, some were trafficked from Ukraine to the rest of Europe and beyond. In this episode Thin will be asking the questions - how has the conflict affected the smuggling of weapons? And how will it continue to do so in the future?Presenter: Thin Lei WinSpeakers:Prof. Mark Galeotti, Principal Director of Mayak Intelligence, Honorary Professor at UCL and member of the GI Network of Experts.Kathi Lynn Austin, former United Nations arms trafficking expert, founder and executive director of the non-profit Conflict Awareness Project and member of the GI Network of Experts.Prof. Viatcheslav Avioutskii, ESSCA School of Management in France. Additional Links:Ukraine ProfileOCIndex.net