The Index Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

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 Win
Speakers:
Kingsley L. Madueke, Nigeria Research Coordinator, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Lawan Danjuma Adamu, Northern Nigeria Field Coordinator, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime
Links:
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 Profile
The Global Organized Crime Index
GITOC - 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 Win
Speakers:
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 London
Links:
Coercive brokers: Militias and urban governance in Rio de Janeiro
OC Index Country profiles:
Brazil Country Profile
The Global Organized Crime Index
Global 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 Win
Speakers:
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 Europe
Škaljari clan
Kavač Clan
OC Index Country profiles:
Montenegro
The Global Organized Crime Index
Global 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 Win
Speakers:
Gideon Ofosu-Peasah, Analyst, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Marcena Hunter, Thematic Lead on Extractives and Illicit Flows, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Links:
(GI Paper) Learnings from West Africa’s regional experiences in the gold sector
OC Index Country profiles:
Mali
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Guinea
The Global Organized Crime Index
Global 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 Win
Guest: Eddie Tanago Paine from ACT NOW! For A Better Papua New Guinea
Links:
OC Index - Papua New Guinea country profile.
The Global Organized Crime Index
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Additional Links:
Mongabay - Logging, road construction continue to fuel forest loss in Papua New Guinea
The Guardian - From a forest in Papua New Guinea to a floor in Sydney: how China is getting rich off Pacific timber
Global 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 destroyed
The 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 Win
Guest: 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 gangsters
The Global Organized Crime Index
Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime
Additional Links
https://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-henry
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/28/haiti-gangs-food-access-farming