OC24 Podcast

Underworlds with Mark Shaw is returning for another season.Mark sits down with authors to discuss their investigations into the murky world of organized crime.In season two, we hear about a range of stories such as money laundering and cryptocurrency; the 'Ndrangheta's expansion from Calabria, Italy to other countries of Europe. Also the story of a leading South African police officer, who was tasked with investigating the Italian mafia in South Africa by Nelson Mandela.A fascinating story about one of the largest frauds in the history of the maritime industry. The growth and evolution of ransomware market, and finally a history of modern Russia told through the stories of four very different criminals.The series is hosted by Mark Shaw, the Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Mark is also an author of a number of books on organized crime in South Africa.====================================================📱 Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@UCP-lqJdhM-9iDKkswuVcXZA 🌎 VISIT US! Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - https://globalinitiative.net/ 🎧WHY NOT TRY OUR OTHER PODCASTS: 🎧Deep Dive: Exploring Organized Crime - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0spSX0QUq7j0NmIZOqyDTZQ 🎧The Index - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSX1Xu1kM0uc_4CftGl8PrwHA3IK5WeI===================================================FOLLOW USX - @gitocLinkedIn - @Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime IG - @gi_toc ===================================================

This session will explore how armed groups in West and Central Africa draw revenue, resources, and legitimacy through their engagement with (il)licit economies. As greater focus in research to date has been given to the question of armed group financing, this session will instead focus on the how armed groups build, or degrade, legitimacy in their interactions with illicit economies. It will consider how the characteristics of different illicit economies - including artisanal gold mining, kidnapping, and logging - shape armed groups' relationship with communities.Lucia Bird, Director of the West Africa Observatory, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized CrimeMouhamadou Kane, Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeDr. Ladd Serwat, Africa Regional Specialist, Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED)Lawan Adamu, Northern Nigeria field coordinator for the West Africa Observatory at the GI-TOC

In this discussion, the panellists discuss organized corruption in Asia and the Pacific.Louise Taylor, Director - Observatory of Illicit Economies in Asia and the Pacific, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized CrimeCynthia Gabriel, Centre to Combat Corruption & Cronyism (C4)Grant Walton, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. Associate Professor Grant Walton is a leading expert on corruption and anti-corruption efforts in the Pacific Islands region, with most of his research focusing on Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.Joseph Pozsgai-Alvarez, Osaka University - Japan Network of Anti-Corruption Researchers.

This book aims to highlight the causes why the Prohibition Era led to an evolution of the New York mob from a rural, ethnic and small-scale to an urban, American and wide-scale crime. The temperance project, advocated by the WASP elite since the early nineteenth century, turned into prohibition only after the end of WWI with the enactment of the Eighteenth Amendment. By considering the success that war prohibition made to the soldiers' psychophysical condition, Congress aimed to shift this political move even to civil society. So it was that the Italian, Irish and Jewish mobs took the chance to spread their bribe system to local politics due to the lucrative alcohol bootlegging. New York became the core of the national anti-prohibition, where the smuggling from Canada and Europe merged into the legendary Manhattan nightclubs and speakeasies. With the coming of the Great Depression, the Republican Party was aware about the failure of this political measure, leading to the making of a new corporate underworld. The book is addressed to historians of New York, historians of crime and historians of modern America as well as to an audience of readers interested in the history of the Prohibition Era.Francesco Landolfi, University of MilanStefano Morello, City University of New YorkThe discussion focuses on the intricate history of organized crime in New York City during the Prohibition era of the 1920s, particularly emphasizing the emergence of the American Mafia. The speaker elucidates the evolution of organized crime, dividing the decade into three distinct phases: the initial opposition to Prohibition, the consolidation of Italian-American mafia power, and the subsequent turmoil leading into the Great Depression. The speaker elaborates on the socio-political environment that fostered the rise of various criminal enterprises, highlighting the interplay between ethnic gangs—Irish, Italian, and Jewish—that capitalized on the lucrative illicit alcohol trade. The narrative further underscores how these groups navigated the complex landscape of law enforcement, corruption, and community dynamics, ultimately shaping the trajectory of organized crime in New York City and beyond.

The evolution of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies continues to transform organised crime, cybercrime, and financial crime. This panel brings together researchers exploring emerging trends in cryptocurrency and financial crimes. Key topics in presentations will include: the emerging illicit and grey economies on digital platforms, opportunities for cryptocurrency financial crime in virtual reality and ‘metaverse’ environments, the use of cryptocurrency in ‘pig-butchering’ scam operations, and cryptocurrency use in transnational crime syndicates operating between China and Southeast Asia. In these discussions the panel aims to illuminate new trends and dynamics between cryptocurrency and financial crime to offer insights into future challenges and potential regulatory responses.Leo S.F. Lin,Senior Lecturer, Charles Sturt University, Australia. Reseraching cybercrime, organised crime, human trafficking and policingHai Thanh Luong, Griffith University / Institute for Asian Crime and Security. Transnational Crimes (focusing on drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, and wildlife trafficking), cyber criminology (focus on human factors in cybercrime), and policing.Dr Andrew Childs, Lecturer, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith UniversityDr. Andrew Childs is a Lecturer in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He explores emerging technologies and cybercrime communities.Dr Milind Tiwari, Charles Sturt University. A certified fraud examiner and anti-money laundering specialist with a keen interest in uncovering the diverse mechanisms used to facilitate money laundering.Takeaways: The advent of cryptocurrencies has introduced new dimensions to organized crime, particularly in the realms of fraud and money laundering. Cryptocurrency's anonymity and lack of regulation are attractive features for criminals seeking to exploit financial systems. Emerging digital technologies, including the Metaverse, present unique challenges for law enforcement in combating financial crimes. The evolution of online scams, such as 'pig butchering', demonstrates the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by perpetrators in cryptocurrency crimes.