Part 3 - "Wake Up! The Bandits Are Coming!"

At the end of March this year, officers from the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) responded to a request for assistance when an armoured Haitian National Police vehicle became stuck in a ditch near Pont-Sondé in Artibonite. The ditch was believed to have been dug by a local gang.

As the MSS officers arrived to help, they were ambushed by armed men, allegedly from the Gran Grif gang. During the firefight, three armoured vehicles were set on fire, and one MSS officer went missing, presumed killed. This incident marked the second casualty for the Kenyans in about a month.

The MSS was deployed to Haiti to help stabilize the security situation and combat the growing power of gangs. Unfortunately, since their arrival, the MSS has faced the same challenges as the Haitian National Police: a lack of manpower, inadequate equipment, and insufficient funding. The gangs continue to maintain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Haiti continues to deteriorate.

In the final part of this series on Haiti, we will explore the challenges facing the Haitian National Police, the fall of beleaguered Prime Minister Ariel Henry, the rising confidence of the Viv Ansanm gang, the arrival and difficulties encountered by MSS officers, and the escalating humanitarian disaster in the country.

Speakers

Jacqueline Charles, Haiti/Caribbean Correspondent, Miami Herald.

Widlore Merancourt, Editor-in-chief for Ayibopost & reporter for the Washington Post on its Haiti coverage

William (Bill) G. O'Neill, UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Haiti

Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, Senior Expert, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Sophie Rutenbar, Visiting scholar at the New York University Center on International Cooperation

GITOC Links

The GI-TOC Observatory of Violence and Resilience in Haiti

Haiti, caught between political paralysis and escalating violence - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/haiti-caught-between-political-paralysis-and-escalating-violence/

Kenya’s High Court blocks proposal to send police support to Haiti - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/kenyas-high-court-blocks-proposal-police-support-haiti/

Will the Artibonite massacre be a turning point in Haiti - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/artibonite-massacre-haiti/

Gangs of Haiti: Expansion, power and an escalating crisis - https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GITOC-Gangs-of-Haiti.pdf

Violence in Haiti: A continuation of politics by other means? - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/violence-in-haiti-politics-crime-gangs/

Additional Links

https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/armed-violence-plunging-children-severe-acute-malnutrition-in-haiti

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/haiti-violence-hunger/

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/haiti-msf-vehicles-shot-during-hospital-evacuation-amid-escalating-violence-in-port-au-prince/

https://x.com/MSF_canada/status/1902047605267296637

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/02/haiti-us-gangs-terrorist-organization/850f0974-2784-11f0-ae6d-e4db528eba27_story.html

https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/rep/release/risch-mccaul-statement-on-admin-lack-of-transparency-on-us-funding-to-haiti

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article304671816.html

https://usun.usmission.gov/remarks-at-a-un-security-council-briefing-on-haiti-15/

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/11/americas/haiti-us-blinken-security-mission-intl-latam/index.html

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/02/28/us-aid-haiti-security-mission/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPrxUJlAU54

https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-haiti-transitional-presidential-council-president-jean/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFnvv3X5MLU

https://docs.un.org/en/S/2024/554

https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/caribbean/haiti/weighing-case-new-peacekeeping-mission-haiti

https://x.com/HaitiInfoProj/status/1845527774507004405

https://north-standard.com/insights-and-resources/resources/news/haiti-civil-unrest-affecting-port-operations

https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/haiti-key-port-closed-land-access-after-gang-attacks-2024-09-26/

https://stratnewsglobal.com/world-news/haiti-port-sealed-to-prevent-gang-attacks/

https://ayibopost.com/gangs-engage-in-boat-piracy-in-haiti/

https://apnews.com/article/un-haiti-gangs-violence-escalate-food-attacks-a531646bc9744fc6f68afa5f4485c9ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1-8D27nhDQ

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/03/26/kenyan-police-officer-killed-in-artibonite/

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj0ql5yq167o

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/02/24/kenyan-mss-officer-died-from-gunshot-wounds/

https://thekenyandiaspora.com/stories/2008/Police-troops-in-Haiti-destroy-Barbecues-home

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2024/11/22/haitian-gang-leader-barbecue-escapes-armed-police-confrontation/

https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/barbecue-escapes-ambush-by-kenya-police-in-haiti-4835916

https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/police-shootout-with-gang-in-haiti-20-gangsters-killed/

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2024-10-15/a-gang-leader-in-haiti-is-injured-in-a-shootout-with-haitian-and-kenyan-police

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3NplOt4VRM

https://halifax.citynews.ca/2024/10/26/gang-coalition-in-haiti-spreads-violence-to-port-au-prince-neighborhood-setting-fire-to-homes/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/K9FMvMNpn3ukEqdj/?mibextid=oFDknk

https://haitiantimes.com/2024/10/23/government-recalls-police-soldiers-from-vip-protection-amid-gang-attacks/

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gangs-violence-solino-un-mission-c6bea0069973d723d51d23cbd9110e49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MfuaczByyg

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/30/haiti-armed-gangs-port-au-prince

https://haitiantimes.com/2024/10/19/gang-attacks-port-au-prince-killed-three-people-and-houses-burned/

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haitis-police-force-shrinks-amid-gang-crisis-union-2024-01-22/

https:/www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/S-2023-492.pdf

https://haitiantimes.com/2024/06/10/gang-attack-killed-three-police-officers-in-ambush/

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-violence-police-killed-kenya-gangs-84eb8a827967238805827742bbd7bf69

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68896323

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-gang-war-spreads-upscale-suburb-embassies-evacuate-staff-2024-03-21/

https://news.sky.com/story/prominent-haitian-gang-leader-shot-dead-by-police-as-political-groups-near-finalisation-of-transition-council-13099622

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ThDZY9t8Cw

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article286303630.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/03/06/ariel-henry-haiti-resign/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68478718

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/04/haiti-mass-jailbreak-violence-port-au-prince-gangs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79sWxhmcQBI

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68462851

https://apnews.com/article/kenya-haiti-un-police-force-gang-violence-30930ccf3cbc31c6969cabd6c9dacb2c

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231002-%F0%9F%94%B4-un-security-council-approves-international-security-force-for-haiti

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-63181481

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/haiti-reaches-a-breaking-point-as-the-economy-tanks-and-violence-soars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2clSUjqzUk

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article265726706.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62292007

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-62162390

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-58706903

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-68542077

https://nation.africa/kenya/news/talks-opened-with-haiti-s-barbecue-for-release-of-murdered-kenyan-s-body-4984342

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/national/132617/police-ig-kanja-says-search-for-officer-benedict-kabiru-missing-in-haiti-still-ongoing

https://x.com/ntvkenya/status/1910767883505877440

https://x.com/ntvkenya/status/1908587152746688536

https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/110325-nps-responds-after-kenyan-officer-mss-haiti-mission-goes-missing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja019VPjfZk

https://nairobinews.co.ke/police-ig-provides-update-on-missing-officer-benedict-kabiru-family-calls-for-more-information/

https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/110378-haitian-govt-identifies-kenyan-police-officer-killed-gangs-benedict-kabiru

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/03/26/kenyan-police-officer-killed-in-artibonite/

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/26/americas/haiti-mss-kenya-officer-missing-gangs-intl-latam/index.html

Part 2 - 'Fighting Back'

In 2022, a video emerged of an alleged senior gang member, Zo Pwason, who had been caught by an armed group of Haitian citizens, led by Commissioner Jean-Ernest Muscadin. Zo Pwason was allegedly a senior member of the 5 Segond gang. He was executed by the armed group.

Muscadin declared that “As long as I am government commissioner, the city of Miragoâne will remain a cemetery for bandits”.

In this episode we look at those citizens that have fought back against the growing power of the gangs, and the emergence of the 'Bwa Kale' movement in 2023. These self-defence or vigilante groups protect their neighbourhoods from the gangs, and target suspected gang members.

We'll discuss how the gangs control areas through violence, limiting movement and the frequent targeting women and girls.

But we'll also follow on from the last episode and explore the connections to other illicit markets like drugs and people smuggling, as well as the proliferation of firearms flowing into the country, the vast majority of which come from the US.

And finally, we'll discuss the previous scandal-ridden recent UN mission to the country.

Speakers

Jacqueline Charles, Haiti/Caribbean Correspondent, Miami Herald.

Widlore Merancourt, Editor-in-chief for Ayibopost & reporter for the Washington Post on its Haiti coverage

William (Bill) G. O'Neill, UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Haiti

Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, Senior Expert, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Sophie Rutenbar, Visiting scholar at the New York University Center on International Cooperation

GITOC Links

The GI-TOC Observatory of Violence and Resilience in Haiti

Will the Artibonite massacre be a turning point in Haiti - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/artibonite-massacre-haiti/

Gangs of Haiti: Expansion, power and an escalating crisis - https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GITOC-Gangs-of-Haiti.pdf

Violence in Haiti: A continuation of politics by other means? - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/violence-in-haiti-politics-crime-gangs/

Additional Links

https://www.devex.com/news/in-haiti-no-one-is-surprised-by-the-oxfam-scandal-92342

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/25/haitians-wary-as-kenyan-police-arrive-on-latest-us-backed-mission

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/12/oxfam-scandal-deepens-allegations-sex-aid-abuse-charity-shops/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/oxfam-child-abuse-haiti-scandal-inquiry-sexual-exploitation-charity-commission-a8953566.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48593401

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/15/timeline-oxfam-sexual-exploitation-scandal-in-haiti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c04UG5-T_IM&t=3s

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/6/un-peacekeepers-leave-haiti-what-is-their-legacy

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/15/americas/haiti-un-peacekeepers-trust-fund-sexual-abuse-as-equals-intl-cmd/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwOl12A2fE

https://www.reuters.com/article/world/haitians-say-underaged-girls-were-abused-by-un-peacekeepers-idUSKBN1YM27V/

https://insightcrime.org/haiti-organized-crime-news/jimmy-cherizier-alias-barbecue/

https://minujusth.unmissions.org/la-minujusth-condamne-les-violences-commis-%C3%A0-grand-ravine-et-appelle-les-autorit%C3%A9s-nationales-%C3%A0

https://haitiantimes.com/2018/11/14/a-u-n-backed-police-force-carried-out-a-massacre-in-haiti-the-killings-have-been-almost-entirely-ignored/

https://theintercept.com/2018/01/10/haiti-raid-united-nations-police-grand-ravine/

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON427

https://www.cdc.gov/orr/responses/haiti-cholera-outbreak.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/world/americas/united-nations-haiti-cholera.html?_r=0

https://www.queensu.ca/gazette/stories/call-un-help-haitians-affected-cholera

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37126747

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/02/04/un-chief-antonio-guterres-internal-criticism-human-rights/

https://press.un.org/en/2016/sgsm18323.doc.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hMrUqO2n0c

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/05/06/136049974/verdict-haitis-cholera-outbreak-originated-in-u-n-camp

https://www.dec.org.uk/article/2010-haiti-earthquake-facts-and-figures

https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/8732

https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/mission/minustah

https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/about-nypd/about-nypd-landing.page

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/world/americas/haiti-political-instability-bsap.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-68518921

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-40365766

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/05/guy-philippe-haiti-senate

https://insightcrime.org/haiti-organized-crime-news/guy-philippe/

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article139045528.html

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/insightcrime.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/guy-philippe-indictment_compressed.pdf

https://lenouvelliste.com/en/article/250174/miragoane-protest-in-support-of-jean-ernest-muscadin

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41235-haiti-justice-two-government-commissioners-receive-a-reprimand-from-the-ministry-of-justice.html

https://canada-haiti.ca/content/interview-commissioner-jean-ernest-muscadin

https://x.com/GazetteHaiti/status/1531686831607140354

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36809-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://gazettehaiti.com/index.php/node/7144

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23RoDKn-Vz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGnieIule50

https://rezonodwes.com/?p=320413

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/30/haiti-port-au-prince-violence-gangs-police

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5r_q79Wqwc

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39382-haiti-canape-vert-more-than-a-dozen-bandits-lynched-and-burned-by-the-population.html

https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2023/06/27/we-cant-find-support-three-womens-stories-repeated-rape-haitian-gangs

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Addressing-Haitian-womens-particular-needs-through-their-leadership-role-en.pdf

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/07/1152206

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview

https://docs.un.org/en/S/2024/320

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4064141/files/S_2024_752-EN.pdf

https://suntci.com/american-tourist-killed-policeman-shot-as-gang-violence-intensifies-in-tur-p8242-129.htm

https://www.loopnews.com/content/gang-violence-surge-in-turks-and-caicos-related-to-transnational-crime/

https://ht.usembassy.gov/florida-resident-sentenced-for-smuggling-firearms-from-united-states-to-violent-haitian-gang-that-kidnapped-19-americans/

https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/king-violent-haitian-gang-sentenced-35-years-prison-gun-smuggling-and-money-laundering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eInOaNVs_c

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article261029297.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/haiti-ap-santo-domingo-dominican-republic-associated-press-b2651596.html

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20250305/dominican-republic-seizes-weapons-and-thousands-ammunition-destined-haiti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fPOOGyJRWQ

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article275443291.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/715019/homicide-rates-in-latin-america/

https://ocindex.net/country/jamaica

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/13/jamaica-gang-crime-police

https://ocindex.net/country/haiti

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200210/fishing-guns-old-harbour-bay-boatmen-rake-profits-drugs-arms

https://insightcrime.org/news/jamaica-haiti-drugs-guns/

https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr/colombian-national-extradited-face-international-narcotics-trafficking-conspiracy

https://www.rhinews.com/justice/liberation-de-jean-eliobert-eddy-one-jasme-un-scande-de-plus-pour-la-justice-haitienne-selon-pierre-esperance/

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article260192325.html

https://insightcrime.org/news/extradition-drug-smuggler-underscores-haitis-historical-cocaine-transit-hub-status/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD9M4i-I0tI

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/the-men-behind-haiti-s-rebellion-infamous-2816773.php

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article19047087.html

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article11959538.html

https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/pubs/states/newsrel/mia072505a.html

https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg86391.html

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2004/02/26/drug-runner-implicates-aristide/

https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-haitian-drug-lord-jacques-ketant-7001667

https://insightcrime.org/news/brief/us-deports-former-haiti-cocaine-kingpin/

https://insightcrime.org/news/unearthing-aristides-convicted-confidant/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-04-02-mn-44460-story.html

https://www.democracynow.org/2004/3/3/the_haitian_army_returns_who_is

https://insightcrime.org/haiti-organized-crime-news/guy-philippe/

https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/08/world/a-leader-of-former-haitian-junta-is-charged-with-smuggling-tons-of-drugs-to-us.html

https://x.com/tv_elshaddai/status/1534018710947643392/video/1

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36882-haiti-flash-the-izo-gang-kidnaps-38-passengers-and-the-drivers-of-2-minibuses-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36809-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://gazettehaiti.com/index.php/node/7144

Part 1 - "The Death of a President"

In July 2021, the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated as he slept at home by a band of mercenaries. His murder sparked a wave of violent protests and a period of unprecedented crisis in the small Caribbean nation that the country has still yet to address nearly four years later.

For a long time, violent gangs were used by politicians to win elections, harass political opponents and stamp out opposition. But the political vacuum and ensuing chaos after the death of the President has seen their power grow immensely. They have committed horrendous atrocities against the population that control and each other.

Massacres, extortion, mass rape, looting, and blockades have brought about a situation where gangs control an estimated 90% of the capital Port-au-Prince. It has created a humanitarian situation of catastrophic proportions, as over one-million Haitians have been internally displaced as a result of the violence.

In Part 1 of Living Together: The Gangs of Haiti, we chart the fallout from the President's murder, the brutal expansion of the gangs power and influence, as well as the relationship between political and economic actors with those same gangs.

Speakers

Jacqueline Charles, Haiti/Caribbean Correspondent, Miami Herald.

Widlore Merancourt, Editor-in-chief for Ayibopost & reporter for the Washington Post on its Haiti coverage

William (Bill) G. O'Neill, UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights Situation in Haiti

Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, Senior Expert, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

GITOC Links

The GI-TOC Observatory of Violence and Resilience in Haiti

Will the Artibonite massacre be a turning point in Haiti - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/artibonite-massacre-haiti/

Gangs of Haiti: Expansion, power and an escalating crisis - https://globalinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GITOC-Gangs-of-Haiti.pdf

Violence in Haiti: A continuation of politics by other means? - https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/violence-in-haiti-politics-crime-gangs/

Additional Links

https://haitiantimes.com/fr/2021/07/27/gang-boss-leads-protest-rally-against-moise-assassination/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/07/24/haiti-held-hostage

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210714-haiti-crime-boss-threatens-syrian-and-lebanese-businesses-following-presidents-assassination/

https://www.nytimes.com/es/2021/07/13/espanol/haiti-soldados-colombianos.html

https://haitiantimes.com/2023/12/20/haitian-senator-sentenced-moise-assassination/

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/02/12/badio-denies-jovenel-moise-assassination/

https://www.caribbean-council.org/ariel-henry-sworn-in-as-new-haitian-prime-minister/

https://www.crisisgroup.org/latin-america-caribbean/haiti/handling-aftermath-haitis-presidential-assassination

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/charles-ap-jovenel-moise-haiti-portauprince-b2498871.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-moves-constitutional-referendum-september-2021-06-29/

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2021/0330/The-battle-for-democracy-goes-on-in-Haiti-as-Moise-gains-power

https://www.freedomskn.com/haiti-leader-urges-calm-requests-help-in-nations-crisis/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-56069575

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/09/haiti-police-say-26-colombians-two-us-haitians-took-part-in-jovenel-moise-assassination-president

https://news.sky.com/story/wife-of-assassinated-haiti-president-jovenel-moise-speaks-from-hospital-bed-12353342

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m9qR6Lv8_I

https://english.elpais.com/usa/2021-07-12/anatomy-of-an-assassination-the-final-hours-of-president-jovenel-moise.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFlRoCErQVU&t=6s

https://ayibopost.com/construction-work-underway-at-village-of-god-viv-ansanm-is-tearing-down-the-lower-part-of-the-town/

https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/c3gq57qzxn8o

https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/johnson-andre

https://insightcrime.org/news/haiti-crime-boss-death-signals-possible-shift-in-balance-of-power/

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/26/americas/lambert-haiti-senate-henry-intl-latam/index.html

https://haitiantimes.com/es/2021/10/20/strike-in-port-au-prince-other-cities-around-haiti-held-to-protest-gangs/

https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-port-au-prince-kidnapping-haiti-b1afcce986e48e51084f4e4096877a05

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35086-haiti-flash-deprived-of-fuel-by-gangs-the-country-at-the-gates-of-hell.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/4/haiti-gang-leaders-calls-on-us-un-to-break-ties-with-govt

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35096-haiti-flash-barbecue-demands-the-resignation-of-the-pm-against-the-resupply-of-fuel-in-the-country.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/12/haitian-gang-leader-says-he-will-temporarily-lift-fuel-blockades

https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/haiti-earthquake-facts

https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210803-m%C3%A9decins-sans-fronti%C3%A8res-closes-hospital-in-haiti-amid-rising-gang-violence

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-07-12/haiti-gangs-complicate-recovery-effort-assassination

https://www.wsj.com/articles/haiti-on-brink-of-anarchy-amid-hunger-gang-violence-and-power-vacuum-11626130421

http://hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Killing_With_Impunity-1.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBS35l7nXno

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3zw2dpqgpo

https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158506

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44412-haiti-rep-dom-26-haitian-gangs-declared-terrorist-organizations-list.html

https://lenouvelliste.com/article/240533/la-police-aux-trousses-du-chef-de-gang-vitelhomme-innocent

https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/vitelhomme-innocent

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/vitel-homme-innocent-added-to-fbis-ten-most-wanted-fugitives-list

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/29/americas/haiti-gang-vitelhomme-innocent-kraze-barye-intl-latam/index.html

https://binuh.unmissions.org/en/haiti-human-rights-situation-remains-very-alarming

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1159791

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/opinion/haiti-kidnapping-gangs.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/20/haiti-kidnapping-abduction-missionaries

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/kidnapping-haiti-shines-spotlight-gangs-risk-experts-say-2021-10-19/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/16/haiti-missionaries-released-gang-kidnapped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zse1_Ou34k

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61379106

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-iska-gang-killed-g9-e7aebb1321e4dabfb09810ceb1f999b0

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article274274865.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tDjORVkjoA

https://www.instagram.com/haitivisuelle/p/C8r9V6NO1CO/?img_index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtjQuBmzjsw

https://www.instagram.com/haitivisuelle/reel/DCk13ejxzNj/

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article217110220.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/26/world/haiti-fuel-hospital-intl-latam/index.html

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article245045015.html

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article298345513.html

https://haitichannelnetwork.com/haiti-la-coalition-des-gangs-armes-viv-ansanm-desormais-transformee-en-parti-politique/

https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/prophane-victor

https://haitiantimes.com/2024/10/04/gran-grif-gang-attack-pont-sonde/

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-attack-pontsonde-gran-grif-1a45faafb929a605f30af4efd8454aeb

https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15837.doc.htm

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2612

https://lesobservateurs.ch/2025/02/21/horreur-a-haiti-un-bebe-de-2-mois-jete-dans-un-feu-par-des-membres-dun-gang-la-mere-decede-de-chagrin-la-societe-est-sous-le-choc/

https://www.leplacentin.com/societe/15-02-2025-kenscoff-eliana-thelemaque--decede-apres-avoir-assiste-a-la-mort-tragique-de-son-bebe

https://www.martinique.franceantilles.fr/actualite/faitsdivers/haiti-une-mere-meurt-apres-avoir-vu-son-bebe-de-deux-mois-brule-par-des-gangs-1024271.php

https://mag2news.com/horreur-a-kenscoff-lhistoire-deliana-thelemaque-et-du-meurtre-de-son-enfant/

https://www.instagram.com/facesofhaiti/p/DGKHyFvswNh/?hl=en&img_index=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU6i0yfADfk

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/02/10/kenscoff-gang-attack-displacement/

https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-violence-kenscoff-capital-97e5fd96b963670a4faf8675d1ea7310

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/01/28/several-gang-killed-by-police-in-haiti-kenscoff/

https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/news/action-against-ndrangheta-criminal-organisation-34-arrests

https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/134262-waste-crime-in-italy-the-challenge-of-environmental-justice.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44873067

https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Organized-crime/INTERPOL-COOPERATION-AGAINST-NDRANGHETA-I-CAN-Phase-2

https://www.worldfinance.com/markets/power-and-profits-welcome-to-the-mafia

https://euroweeklynews.com/2024/12/13/mafias-gobbling-up-italys-tourism-industry/

https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/ndrangheta-arrests-europe/

https://www.occrp.org/en/news/ndrangheta-linked-asphalt-billionaire-loses-eur212-million

https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/haiti/overview

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1208

https://insightcrime.org/haiti-organized-crime-news/g9-family-profile/

https://www.rhinews.com/justice/fednel-monchery-accuse-dimplication-dans-le-massacre-de-la-saline-arrete-puis-relache-illico/

https://ayibopost.com/under-threat-the-police-officers-who-had-arrested-fednel-monchery-are-fleeing-haiti/

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Killing_With_Impunity-1.pdf

https://www.miamiherald.com/article230380739.html

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article290253054.html

https://x.com/hashtag/petrocaribechallenge?src=hashtag_click

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAvLTOwi4IU

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article214490259.html

If you were to walk around a Russian city, you might not realise it but hundreds of small packages of drugs, could be just below the surface, buried in the ground, or maybe attached to the back of a nearby drainpipe with magnets, or hidden inside a hole in a wall. These little "treasures" have been ordered online from a vendor operating on a darknet platform and then hidden by couriers known as 'Kladmen' all over the place waiting to be collected - this is the "dead drop" method.

The darknet markets servicing Russia have revolutionized the illicit drug markets in the country, which has seen an explosion in the consumption of synthetic drugs like methadone, mephedrone or Alpha-PVP. The vendors run a network of chemists, wholesalers, and Kladmen. Sportsman, hired thugs, roam around looking for Seagulls (people who steal dead drops) and punishing Kladmen on behalf of vendors, before uploading the punishments to social media as a warning to others.

For many years, Hydra, the largest DNM the world has ever known, defeated all competition and reigned supreme, handling over $5 billion dollars of cryptocurrency during its lifespan. But in 2022, it was taken down and like the mythical beast it was named after, new heads sprouted in its place - OMG!OMG!, Mega, Kraken, Blacksprut - all vying for position, competing for market share and creating the most audacious public marketing stunts and highly produced online videos.

The DNMs, with connections to the precursor markets of China and India, operate on TOR, have pushed synthetic drugs into all corners of Russia, democratizing the production process, with how-to guides and readily available lab equipment, and even created an apprenticeship scheme for prospective Kladmen, with a guaranteed job at the end.

The whole process is highly anonymised from production to transportation, and from purchase to delivery through the dead drop method. We have seen darknet markets affecting the drug appetites of an entire nation and beyond.

Speaker(s):

Max Daly, Journalist who specialises in drugs and organized crime. He is an Orwell Prize winner, co-authored of the book Narcomania and the co-author of the GITOC paper 'Breaking Klad: Russia’s Dead Drop Drug Revolution'.

Patrick Shortis, Senior Blockchain Intelligence Analyst working on the illicit drugs program at TRM Labs and co-author of the GI’s paper ‘Breaking Klad: Russia’s Dead Drop Drug Revolution’.

Links:

Breaking Klad: Russia’s Dead Drop Drug Revolution

Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

(Podcast) “Death Can Wait”: Drugs on the Frontline in Ukraine

Additional Links:

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0701

https://meph.lenta.ru/articles/1-popularity

https://lenta.ru/news/2024/11/27/borby-s-rasprostraneniem-narkotikov/

https://lenta.ru/news/2024/11/27/milonov-predlozhil-proverit-vseh-rossiyan-na-narkotiki/

https://lenta.ru/news/2024/11/28/v-gosdume-vyskazalis-ob-epidemii-mefedrona-v-rossii/

https://argumenti.ru/society/2023/06/838979

https://www.tiktok.com/@brem100/video/7242272283954253058?lang=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWTmaRvpViw

https://www.tiktok.com/@moriarti.dark/video/7271777133335153926

https://sevastopol.su/news/v-krymu-proshel-sud-nad-blogershey-yuley-finess

https://meduza.io/en/feature/2024/02/07/when-a-college-student-challenged-russia-s-top-censorship-activist-at-her-q-a-event-she-responded-by-threatening-him-with-prosecution

https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2023/12/20/mother-russia-en

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Obukhovets,+Leningrad+Oblast,+Russia,+187047/@59.4806054,31.2688815,13z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x46bdb94966834f73:0xbfe5e983110f840f!8m2!3d59.4952008!4d31.2902649!16s%2Fg%2F1pzpdbhfc?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5899910

https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Brilliant_green

https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Vory-Russias-Super-Mafia/dp/B07CS7BZ89/ref=sr_1_1?nsdOptOutParam=true&sr=8-1

https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/cyber-vault/2019-12-13/silk-road-investigation-dea-secret-service-agents-involvement-online-black-market-site

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-dea-agent-sentenced-extortion-money-laundering-and-obstruction-related-silk-road

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanmac/2013/11/08/meet-the-silk-road-employee-that-the-dread-pirate-roberts-allegedly-tried-to-murder/

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/administrator-silk-road-website-and-drug-vendor-plead-guilty-drug-conspiracy

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/silk-road-ross-ulbricht-drugs-murder

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2436643

https://t.me/IrinaVolk_MVD/826

https://t.me/skgovby/8901 /

https://lenta.ru/articles/2022/03/24/sportiki/

https://darknark.lenta.ru/article/part3-broken-lives

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/09/24/russia-moves-to-allow-criminal-defendants-to-fight-in-ukraine-a86456

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/10/01/russias-army-plans-to-enlist-20k-criminal-defendants-for-ukraine-war-istories-a86534

https://www.legal-tools.org/doc/8eed35/pdf/

https://severpost.ru/read/180945/

https://socradar.io/beyond-hacktivism-deanon-club-killnet-and-the-russian-dark-web-market-wars/

https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/hostile-takeover-kraken-hacks-rival-dark-market-solaris-a-20986

https://therecord.media/pro-kremlin-hackers-target-latvias-parliament-after-declaring-russia-a-sponsor-of-terrorism

https://www.thetimes.com/world/article/pro-kremlin-hackers-killnet-hit-latvia-with-biggest-cyberattack-in-its-history-2jvmp8hk7

https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/blog/hotforsecurity/pro-russian-killnet-group-hits-us-airline-websites-with-ddos-attack

https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/killnet-ddos-attack-royal-family-website

https://dzen.ru/b/Y-5DIbb7bh7QW5SR

https://m.vk.com/wall-66678575_81399673?lang=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvlY2tn8Sh0

https://www.youtube.com/@Jessica_Ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_592OyIvV5U

https://lenta.ru/news/2024/12/02/organizatoram-torgovavshey-po-vsey-rossii-narkoimperii-vynesli-prigovor/

https://therecord.media/hyrda-darknet-drug-marketplace-kingpin-sentenced-life-russia

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/02/russia-sentences-alleged-founder-of-hydra-darknet-site-to-life-in-prison-a87198

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-61002904

https://flashpoint.io/resources/research/flashpoint-and-chainalysis-investigate-hydra-where-cryptocurrency-cybercrime-goes-dark/

https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1490906/dl

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-investigation-leads-shutdown-largest-online-darknet-marketplace

https://www.darkowl.com/blog-content/russians-on-the-darknet-part-ii-marketplaces-amp-forums/

https://socradar.io/under-the-spotlight-ramp-forum/

https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/4572560

https://darknark.lenta.ru/article/part1-the-war

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/us-charges-three-men-with-creating-and-running-first-ever-mirai-botnet/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/dyn-confirms-mirai-botnet-involved-in-distributed-denial-of-service-attack/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/03/cyberattack-internet-liberia-ddos-hack-botnet

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/failed-mirai-botnet-campaign-takes-900000-germans-offline/

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/iot-stats

https://spectrum.ieee.org/mirai-botnet

https://www.radware.com/security/ddos-knowledge-center/ddospedia/mirai/

https://www.ntv.ru/novosti/1760880/

https://66.ru/news/society/250870/

https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/deep-dive-podcast/

https://finance.rambler.ru/markets/48548669-mif-o-russkoy-gidre-chem-zakonchilas-istoriya-krupneyshey-ploschadki-po-prodazhe-narkotikov-i-konchilas-li/

https://tass.com/society/866067

https://www.wired.com/2014/11/operation-onymous-dark-web-arrests/

https://www.wired.com/2014/12/interview-darkside-russias-favorite-dark-web-drug-lord/

https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/how-darknet-markets-fought-for-users-in-wake-of-hydra-collapse-2022/

Buenaventura – “The Pact for Life”

Buenaventura has long been an important node in international illicit markets, particularly cocaine trafficking due to its port. Gangs, paramilitaries and organized criminal networks have all looked to gain a foothold here. The resulting violence has meant the city has seen many murders, and even more disappearances, with terrifying tales emanating from the so-called 'Casa de pique’ (Chop Shops).

In September 2022, two gangs in Buenaventura, on the Pacific coast of Colombia, signed a truce to end the bloodshed that had gripped the city for two years - called 'The Pact for Life', which was mediated by the Bishop of Buenaventura.

Los Shottas and Los Espartanos (the Spartans) had been locked in a vicious battle ever since they had both broken away from the La Local gang, carving up the city between them.

The administration of President Gustavo Petro, saw the truce as an opportunity to negotiate with these two gangs under the Total Peace policy, which looks to reduce violence in communities across Colombia.

There has been a reduction in homicides, but this stat hides the fact that other crimes have increased - extortion, disappearances, control of movement, and the "justice" (fines, beatings or murder) meted out on the population by the gangs.

Speaker(s):

Mariana Botero Restrepo, former GITOC Analyst and Researcher in the Observatory of the Andean Region.

Felipe Botero Escobar, Head of Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Juanita Durán-Vélez, Lawyer, Crime and Justice Lab, Colombia.

Links:

Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Podcast & Article - Clan del Golfo: The fall of 'Otoniel': How Colombia's biggest drug lord was taken down.

The base research (Negotiating with Criminal Groups: Colombia´s Total Peace Policy) for this episode was initially developed and supported by Serious Organized Crime and Anticorruption Evidence research program.

Additional Links:

https://www.elespectador.com/colombia-20/paz-y-memoria/petro-y-paz-urbana-bandas-de-buenaventura-extienden-la-tregua-hasta-febrero-del-2025/

https://colombiasupport.net/2021/04/filing-a-complaint-is-like-a-tombstone-it-means-your-death-bishop-of-buenaventura/

https://www.agenciapi.co/noticia/justicia/capturan-alias-cholo-lider-de-los-shottas-en-operativo-en-buenaventura

https://www.google.com/search?q=Carlos+Javier+Erazo+G%C3%B3mez&oq=Carlos+Javier+Erazo+G%C3%B3mez&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg7MgYIAhAuGEDSAQc1NTVqMGoxqAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/05/19/capturado-alias-cholo-viche-presunto-cabecilla-de-los-espartanos-en-buenaventura/

https://www.eltiempo.com/unidad-investigativa/el-nuevo-agente-encubierto-que-le-prometio-a-ministro-desmantelar-red-corrupta-en-la-policia-en-la-que-menciona-a-poderosos-politicos-3389661

https://colombiaone.com/2024/08/03/colombia-smuggler-spain/

https://www.elespectador.com/judicial/alias-pitufo-zar-del-contrabando-sera-enviado-desde-espana-hacia-colombia/

https://elhomenoticias.com/justicia/poderoso-agente-encubierto-de-polfa-que-se-atornillo-en-la-policia-de-la-mano-de-un-ministro-pese-a-graves-informes/

https://www.bluradio.com/nacion/policias-sobornaron-con-900-millones-para-que-ingresara-contrabando-de-el-bendecido-rg10

https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/08/30/la-millonada-que-recibieron-las-autoridades-por-permitir-el-ingreso-de-contrabando-de-el-bendecido/

https://www.las2orillas.co/un-filipino-y-los-daneses-de-maersk-controlan-los-2-puertos-mas-grandes-de-buenaventura/

https://ppulegal.com/en/ppu-legal/ppu-advises-on-port-aguadulce-expansion-financing/

https://news.mongabay.com/2020/06/ill-never-be-ready-for-this-port-locals-say-of-colombias-proposed-project/

https://mascolombia.com/es-fundamental-dragar-el-canal-de-acceso-al-puerto-de-buenaventura-asonav/

https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2023/04/09/los-desaparecidos-de-isla-calavera-fuente-de-vida-y-muerte-de-las-mujeres-buscadoras-de-buenaventura/

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Isla+P%C3%A1jaros/@3.8754086,-77.0848323,4399m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x8e37246bc0519301:0xe8c19fa6cd4835cf!8m2!3d3.8708333!4d-77.075!16s%2Fg%2F11clyt5gp1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTExMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.elespectador.com/colombia-20/conflicto/paz-total-buenaventura-pacto-entre-shotas-y-espartanos-no-hay-muertos-pero-persiste-delincuencia/

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250341/this-colombian-bishop-in-a-drug-trafficking-zone-receives-death-threats

https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/03/23/capturaron-a-alias-chucky-cabecilla-de-los-espartanos-dejaba-una-bala-como-amenaza-para-que-pagaran-extorsiones/

https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/dispatches-field-visit-buenaventura

https://www.altocomisionadoparalapaz.gov.co/prensa/Paginas/Avanza-la-paz-urbana-Se-renuevan-compromisos-del-Pacto-por-la-Vida-en-Buenaventura.aspx

https://reliefweb.int/report/colombia/el-miedo-y-la-zozobra-siguen-condicionando-la-vida-de-miles-de-personas-en-colombia-enero-junio-de-2023

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252199/gang-violence-prevents-evening-masses-in-colombian-city

https://insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/the-shottas/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/narcos-necromancy-turf-wars-black-magic-colombia/

https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/12/15/latin-american-drug-cartels-instagram-facebook-tiktok-social-media-crime/?utm_campaign=clipping_institucional_dia_a_dia&utm_medium=email&utm_source=RD+Station

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Z1pQBhrFh/?hl=en

https://www.qhubocali.com/asi-paso/cayo-alias-optra-uno-de-los-mas-buscados-del-valle/

https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/the-murder-of-temistocles-machado-human-rights-defenders-in-colombia-are-still-under-threat/

https://ocindex.net/country/colombia

https://igarape.org.br/en/drug-cartels-are-all-over-instagram-facebook-and-tiktok/

https://www.hrw.org/report/2014/03/20/crisis-buenaventura/disappearances-dismemberment-and-displacement-colombias-main

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2014/03/140320_colombia_buenaventura_desapariciones_desplazados_aw

https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/grandes-historias/20160909/154235506_0.html

https://www.elespectador.com/actualidad/buenaventura-desmembrada-article-526131/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-02-07-mn-41027-story.html

https://www.elespectador.com/judicial/historia-de-una-casa-de-pique-article-521746/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/12/colombia-violence-torture-gangs-buenaventura

https://www.univalle.edu.co/lo-que-pasa-en-la-u/buenaventura-a-la-luz-de-colombia

https://insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/rastrojos-profile/

https://insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/auc-profile/

https://insightcrime.org/es/noticias-crimen-organizado-colombia/los-shottas/

https://www.semana.com/mejor-colombia/articulo/asi-se-convirtio-buenaventura-en-el-segundo-puerto-mas-eficiente-de-america-latina/202458/

https://www.theworldfolio.com/news/cauca-valley-francis/105/

https://colombiareports.com/agc-gulf-clan/

http://www.indepaz.org.co/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Proceso_de_paz_con_las_Autodefensas.pdf

https://www.pares.com.co/post/shottas-y-espartanos-avanzan-en-sus-intenciones-de-paz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD90rc5fq_0

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/colombian-bishop-uses-holy-water-to-drive-out-the-devil

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/10/bishop-take-skies-exorcise-colombian-city-helicopter-buenaventura

Disclaimer: SOC ACE is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policy.

Colombia is a country that has been racked by conflict for around 60 years - multiple armed groups and organized crime have waged war against each other and the state.

In 2016, after nearly seven years of negotiations, the FARC demobilized, creating a power vacuum that other groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), Clan del Golfo, and FARC dissidents, quickly filled. Despite the FARC's exit, violence persisted, with cocaine production and illegal mining continuing unabated, leaving many communities under the control of criminal organizations.

In 2022, the President of Colombia Gustavo Petro brought forward new legislation, known as 'Total Peace'. This ambitious and wide ranging policy looks to negotiate with all criminal groups, whether they are politically minded, like the FARC were or organized crime. Why? To help reduce violence, in particularly homicides, but also to try a new approach to end these long-running conflicts.

One of the key players in these negotiations was the ELN, the oldest guerrilla group in the world. The Petro administration expressed optimism, claiming a peace agreement could be reached within three months of taking office. However, over two years later, those talks have stalled and ultimately collapsed, raising questions about the future of peace efforts in Colombia.

Speaker(s):

Juanita Durán-Vélez, Lawyer, Crime and Justice Lab, Colombia.

Kyle Johnson, Researcher & Academic Director of the Conflict Responses Foundation, Bogotá, Colombia

Felipe Botero Escobar, Head of Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Links:

Andean Regional Office, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Podcast & Article - Clan del Golfo: The fall of 'Otoniel': How Colombia's biggest drug lord was taken down.

The base research (Negotiating with Criminal Groups: Colombia´s Total Peace Policy) for this episode was initially developed and supported by Serious Organized Crime and Anticorruption Evidence research program.

Additional Links:

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-recognizes-dissident-eln-faction-independent-organization-2024-05-08/

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-illegal-armed-groups-grew-2023-secret-security-report-2024-05-07/

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/colombia-peace/

https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-colombia-farc-killings-20180605-story.html

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1265909/former-farc-members-killed-colombia/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcT51WTFlUM

https://www.abcolombia.org.uk/eln-peace-talks-timeline/

https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/guerra-entre-el-eln-y-las-disidencias-de-las-farc-en-arauca-MD16408859

https://english.elpais.com/international/2022-06-11/in-colombias-saravena-theres-no-theft-just-murder.html

https://insightcrime.org/news/insight-crime-2022-homicide-round-up/

https://insightcrime.org/news/is-the-ex-farc-mafia-betting-all-its-chips-on-the-colombian-venezuelan-border/

https://insightcrime.org/investigations/inviting-war-into-venezuela/

https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:8960/FARCdissidentColombia_FINAL.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-59863553

https://www.elespectador.com/judicial/el-contratista-del-eln-article-838805/

https://insightcrime.org/news/eln-receiving-payments-companies-colombia/

https://newsradio.com.co/2019/02/investigan-si-el-eln-se-financio-con-recursos-publicos-del-departamento-de-arauca/

https://www.pulzo.com/nacion/financiacion-eln-arauca-PP640382

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/judicial/el-contratista-del-eln-articulo-838805

https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/delitos/facundo-castillo-detalles-del-caso-por-el-que-fue-capturado-por-fiscalia-626787

https://colombiareports.com/colombia-arrests-governor-on-corruption-terrorism-support-charges/

https://www.cgfm.mil.co/en/multimedia/noticias/army-and-prosecutors-office-carried-out-confiscation-right-domain-assets-ex

https://www.infobae.com/en/2022/04/21/they-impose-an-insurance-measure-on-the-former-governor-of-arauca-due-to-irregularities-with-the-pae/

https://www.eltiempo.com/unidad-investigativa/luis-diaz-un-vendedor-de-divisas-de-maicao-detras-del-secuestro-del-padre-del-jugador-825082

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombia-eln-guerrillas-free-kidnapped-father-liverpool-soccer-star-diaz-source-2023-11-09/

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/least-40-colombias-eln-rebels-seen-rejecting-peace-deal-security-sources-2023-09-22/

https://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/conflicto-y-narcotrafico/entrevista-a-pablo-beltran-del-eln-desde-cuba-sobre-regreso-a-colombia-317422

https://www.financecolombia.com/insight-crime-report-eln-has-beaten-ivan-duque-now-colombias-largest-criminal-threat/

https://verdadabierta.com/se-reanuda-formalmente-la-guerra-contra-el-eln/

https://x.com/JuanManSantos/status/1167053956255748097

https://colombiareports.com/police-identify-and-hunt-guerrilla-responsible-for-pablitos-escape/

https://colombiareports.com/arauca-prison-director-suspected-of-assisting-eln-leaders-escape/

https://colombiareports.com/eln-guerrilla-escapes-from-jail/

https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-6307429

https://www.fides.org/en/news/72782-AMERICA_COLOMBIA_The_testimony_of_Monsignor_Jaramillo_prophet_and_martyr_of_peace_is_always_alive_and_current

https://colombiareports.com/pablito-eln/

https://insightcrime.org/colombia-organized-crime-news/eln-profile/

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/worlds-oldest-guerrilla-force-revives-war-on-oil/

https://web.archive.org/web/20090302075901/http:/www.cyemh.org/resource/camilo.htm

https://www.britannica.com/topic/liberation-theology

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU30QVJl8ac

https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/petro-on-arauca-bombing-eln-practically-closes-peace-process-with-blood/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37W-nrGMB5U&t=18s

https://i0.wp.com/efe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/rss-efe3d9924349b8c7efe16223eebbb9025ada2404bf0w.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/colombias-petro-says-eln-attack-practically-ends-peace-talks-2024-09-18/

https://llanera.com/dos-soldados-asesinados-por-el-eln-en-tame-arauca/26595

https://www.laopinion.co/sucesos/atacaron-unidad-militar-en-tame-arauca-reportan-dos-soldados-asesinados

https://insightcrime.org/news/eln-attack-destroys-chances-peace-strengthening-guerrilla-group/

https://x.com/OscuraColombia/status/1828154886862610855

https://maps.app.goo.gl/rUBZJfYcLSFYNGr47

https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/colombian-army-confirms-eln-behind-oil-pipeline-attack-in-arauca/

https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/crisis-combustible-ataque-oleoducto-cano-limon-covenas-en-arauca-DN25286995

Disclaimer: SOC ACE is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policy.

The History of the American Mafia: How the Mob Built Its Empire in the US, with Former Gambino Crime Family Associate, Louis Ferrante.

In this episode, Mark sits down with former Mob associate Louis Ferrante to discuss his book, Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia.

The history of the American Mafia, known as La Cosa Nostra or simply "The Mob," is well known. Prohibition in the United States during the Roaring Twenties saw the rise of characters who have since been mythologized in Hollywood: Charles "Lucky" Luciano and his close confidant Meyer Lansky, Al "Scarface" Capone, Arnold "The Brain" Rothstein, Dutch Schultz, Giuseppe "Joe the Boss" Masseria, and Salvatore Maranzano.

What makes Borgata different is that it was written by someone who lived "The Life," providing a unique perspective. Lou discusses the formation of The Commission, an underworld ruling council that controlled the Five Families of New York (now known as the Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno, and Colombo), The Outfit in Chicago, and the Philadelphia Mafia.

Lou talks about the rules, the use of violence, and how the US government looked to tackle the growing power of organized crime, spearheaded by the likes of prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey.

We also hear about Lou's own life in La Cosa Nostra and how he and his crew committed some of the most successful heists in US history, which ultimately landed him in prison.

In prison, he began to read everything he could get his hands on, including history, philosophy, and the great classics of literature. He never turned on his former associates, but when he left prison, he also left "The Life." Now he speaks about his experiences with the Mob and has become a successful author (Unlocked: A Journey from Prison to Proust), including his new a huge three-part history of the American Mafia.

In this episode, Mark and Lou discuss the first book, Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia.

====================================================

Louis Ferrante's book 'Borgata: The Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia' is available here: https://a.co/d/cDcxOQ2

Audible version: https://a.co/d/2VHu3Ht

====================================================

📱 Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@UCP-lqJdhM-9iDKkswuVcXZA

🌎 VISIT US! Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime - https://globalinitiative.net/

🎧Audio version: https://link.chtbl.com/7c27X1CM

🎧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

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Welcome to Underworlds with Mark Shaw.

Organized Crime is everywhere, hidden in plain sight. The stories from this world have been mythologised by Hollywood. But the reality can be even stranger and more exciting than fiction.

From the golden age of the American mafia (La Cosa Nostra), to the modern-day cocaine empires, and from the shadowy links between organized crime and terrorism, to the twilight of the Yakuza.

In this series Mark Shaw, the Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime delves into non-fiction books about organized crime and the illicit economy with the authors themselves. He asks questions about their background and investigations, but also the challenges associated in writing about this murky world.

In May 2024, a prison van was attacked at a highway toll in Normandy, France. In dramatic footage shared on social media, a black SUV, driving the wrong direction, rammed into the prison van just as it went through the barriers. Then gunmen, dressed head-to-toe in black and armed with Kalashnikov rifles got out and started shooting at the van, killing two prison officers.

They opened the van and freed the prisoner, a man named Mohamed Amra, aka "The Fly", who escaped with the gunmen. There is now an Interpol Red Notice out for Amra.

The attack took place in broad daylight and sheds light on the dramatic increase in gang violence over the last few years in France. Mohamed Amra had connections to the city that has been at the forefront of this violence, Marseille, on the Mediterranean coast.

Speaker(s):

Iris Oustinoff Leroux, YPN Coordinator and Analyst, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Links:

(GI article) France in the crossfire: Prisoner escapes in Normandy amid rise in organized crime

(GI Paper) Smoke on the horizon: Trends in arms trafficking from the conflict in Ukraine

(GI Article) The Western Balkans is still the criminals’ choice for weapons.

Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime

Global Organized Crime Index

Senate Report FAIT au nom de la commission d’enquête (1) sur l’impact du narcotrafic en France et les mesures à prendre pour y remédier,

Additional Links

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/reglements-de-comptes-a-marseille-huit-ans-de-prison-pour-une-fusillade-a-l-origine-de-l-ete-meurtrier-de-2021-2915706.html

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/il-y-a-un-regain-assez-important-de-la-violence-pourquoi-les-fusillades-se-multiplient-ces-dernieres-semaines-a-marseille-3005078.html

https://www.lyonne.fr/avallon-89200/actualites/jamilah-habsaoui-maire-d-avallon-en-sursis_14508004/

https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/narcotrafic-a-marseille-felix-bingui-le-chef-du-clan-yoda-accepte-detre-extrade-du-maroc-30-04-2024-STLZ2JCQTVBFVF4J7T626BXSCE.php

https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/05/362400/suspected-drug-dealer-arrested-in-morocco-agreed-on-extradition-to-france

https://www.bfmtv.com/marseille/info-bfmtv-l-extradition-de-felix-bingui-chef-presume-du-clan-marseillais-yoda-pourrait-prendre-entre-six-et-huit-mois_AN-202404010255.html

https://www.laprovence.com/article/faits-divers-justice/76954482590199/tuerie-du-kfc-a-marseille-kamel-meziani-condamne-a-30-annees-de-reclusion

https://www.lemonde.fr/police-justice/article/2023/02/11/le-narcotrafiquant-marseillais-kamel-meziani-condamne-a-trente-ans-de-reclusion-criminelle_6161379_1653578.html

https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/lutte-contre-les-narcotrafics-importante-operation-de-police-dans-le-quartier-de-la-castellane-a-marseille-20240318

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/fin-tour-k-symbole-cite-castellane-marseille-1731937.html

https://www.laprovence.com/article/faits-divers-justice/17784277478911/marseille-des-policiers-attaques-a-coup-de-cocktail-molotov-et-de-tirs-de-mortier

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/bilan-mitige-de-l-operation-place-nette-a-marseille-c-est-un-gros-coup-d-epee-dans-l-eau-2678660

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240411-marseille-district-sees-weary-but-wary-relief-in-drug-crackdown

https://www.bfmtv.com/marseille/marseille-plus-de-500-mortiers-saisis-dans-les-quartiers-nord-a-l-approche-du-reveillon_AV-202312290592.html

https://actu.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/marseille_13055/video-marseille-les-images-d-un-face-a-face-violent-entre-police-et-gang-de-dealers_60308105.html

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3657598,5.3413223,3a,55.6y,27.77h,92.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfKg-EOZLQ1CLmILQAL987A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3663096,5.341913,3a,75y,205.45h,80.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seDmzdjbm3ZwBJKBDjGT8Sg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/faits-divers-justice/macron-a-marseille-pour-lancer-une-operation-sans-precedent-contre-le-trafic-de-drogue-1973178

https://www.ft.com/content/11c65285-57dd-49f6-aaeb-82cd94221936

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/faits-divers/criminalite-a-marseille/info-francetv-une-arme-fabriquee-a-l-aide-d-une-imprimante-3d-retrouvee-apres-une-tentative-d-assassinat-a-marseille_6304755.html

https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20240210-police-in-marseille-bust-network-trafficking-in-3d-printed-weapons

https://news.sky.com/video/cache-of-3d-printed-guns-and-manufacturing-equipment-seized-in-france-13065857

https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/guerre-des-gangs-apres-yoda-comment-la-dz-mafia-sest-retrouvee-dans-les-mailles-de-la-police-12-03-2024-LEB6NALRNNCH5IU4XKOOEYJ2TU.php

https://time.com/how-europes-terrorists-get-their-guns/

https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0TH0A2/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34818994

https://x.com/rubnpulido/status/1790388865385001329/video/2

https://www.europol.europa.eu/crime-areas-and-trends/eu-policy-cycle-empact

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/03/teenage-hitmen-marseille-drugs-instagram/

https://timesofmalta.com/article/book-tells-the-history-of-lark-mirrors.120320

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/drug-trafficking/county-lines

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/05/29/paris-2024-french-police-arrest-15-for-drug-trafficking-near-olympic-village_6673007_7.html

https://www.dw.com/en/the-gangs-of-marseille-drug-trafficking-in-the-south-of-france/a-65960877

https://www.euronews.com/2024/03/01/inside-marseilles-deadly-drug-wars-why-are-youths-killing-youths

https://www.tiktok.com/@lecastellas13015/video/7305725649581247777

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSQkNhNQ3pk

https://www.tiktok.com/@lecastellas13015/video/7303990545527950624

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXrBOAKuWis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB-EuIMJhno

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/marseille/flambee-des-reglements-de-comptes-a-marseille-depuis-le-debut-de-l-ete-2218306.html

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3314688,5.4133432,3a,50y,349.55h,87.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sq0PuUdMIVn2RoquTbYweVw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3320164,5.4130486,3a,75y,200.66h,74.99t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1st9owqf4YKoawLLpYDSS4Jg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.3283083,5.4057151,3a,75.4y,166.68h,79.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shNY6Py44ViIaCk2MPJIOFw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

https://www.lefigaro.fr/marseille/les-dessous-d-un-reseau-de-trafic-de-drogue-marseillais-qui-realisait-50-000-euros-de-chiffre-d-affaires-quotidien-20240311

https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/le-vrai-visage-du-narco-banditisme-a-marseille-02-05-2016-5760745.php

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/01/we-are-seen-as-less-human-inside-marseilles-quartiers-that-the-police-have-abandoned

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58395124

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-drug-gangs-torture-rooms-arm-kids-kalashnikov-eu-agency-emcdda-warn/

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/law/article/murder-by-kalashnikov-the-drug-war-stalking-marseilles-75l77cjh8

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65664329

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/08/18/marseille-s-increasingly-deadly-war-between-dz-mafia-and-yoda-two-drug-trafficking-networks_6097326_7.html

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2022/07/21/in-corsica-the-mafia-has-taken-root-with-little-consequences_5990869_7.html

https://www.cairn-int.info/article-E_VIN_115_0089--the-french-connection-between-myths.htm

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mafia-operates-frances-corsica-tourists-064408707.html

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2024/05/15/interpol-issues-red-notice-for-escaped-french-convict-mohamed-amra_6671555_7.html

https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/une-fusillade-a-evreux-fait-deux-morts-et-un-blesse-25-07-2023-2529431_23.php

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2-killed-in-drug-related-shooting-in-northern-france-4239250

https://www.equinoxmagazine.fr/2024/05/15/mohamed-amra-implique-dans-une-tentative-dassassinat-dun-francais-en-espagne/

https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-the-fly-the-french-prisoner-who-escaped-in-convoy-ambush-13135860

https://www.liberation.fr/societe/police-justice/menaces-achat-darmes-gestion-de-ses-activites-criminelles-ce-que-revelent-les-ecoutes-dans-la-cellule-de-mohamed-amra-20240523_E3BYYPSQHNCT3MH6PDQIGAXJOE/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQV6CijIzrc

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20240516-desire-to-kill-french-prison-van-attack-takes-drug-trafficking-fight-to-new-level-of-violence

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/two-people-killed-inmate-run-061200254.html

https://www.google.com/maps/@49.2454726,1.1840619,3a,75y,313.93h,93.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sOVJ380YVCaj81X1XGYo3Ag!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu

On the 1st May 2024, 711 migrants successfully crossed the Channel between France and the UK in small boats. This year is so far on track to see the highest number of crossings on record.

This highly industrialised illicit industry estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of Euros, has seen the coast of northern France demarcated between competing gangs from a specific region of the Middle East, and who have a long history of smuggling.

They control the entire length of the route, from beginning to end - targeting prospective migrants through social media, offering package deals, and advice on how to speak to authorities on arrival. Some migrants even use their own knowledge of the trip to become smugglers themselves.

In this episode we take a look at the criminal groups behind the small boat crossings; how organised the logistics are; how much money they make and where it goes; and finally what this could mean for the future of other illicit economies in Western Europe.

Speaker(s):

Tuesday Reitano, Deputy Director of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, author of the book Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour. Author of the report Small Boats, Big Business: The Industrialization of Cross-Channel Migrant Smuggling.

Julien Goudichaud, documentary filmmaker who has been reporting on people smugglers who operate in Calais.

Afshin Ismaeli, a journalist and war photographer from Norway.

Links:

(GI Paper) Small Boats, Big Business: The Industrialization of Cross-Channel Migrant Smuggling - available in English & French

(Book) Migrant, Refugee, Smuggler, Saviour

(GI Paper) The Human Conveyor Belt: Trends in human trafficking and smuggling in post-revolution Libya

(GI Analysis) An increasing number of Albanians are crossing the English Channel from France using small boats

(GI Analysis) Western Balkan criminal groups are important players in the Netherlands

Additional Links

https://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/deaths-at-the-calais-border/

https://www.duvarenglish.com/illegal-networks-in-turkey-said-to-be-providing-fake-passports-to-isis-members-to-travel-to-west-news-60262

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/16-arrests-vietnamese-network-smuggling-migrants-across-english-channel-busted

https://www.migrationwatchuk.org/channel-crossings-tracker

https://news.sky.com/story/more-than-700-people-cross-channel-in-busiest-day-of-the-year-so-far-13127430

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats

https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labours-immigration-and-border-policy-stop-small-boats/

https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-61782866

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/five-high-value-targets-arrested-one-of-largest-networks-smuggling-migrants-across-english-channel-halted

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/39-arrests-in-cross-border-operation-against-migrant-smuggling-in-small-boats-across-english-channel

https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20220923-france-busts-people-smugglers-accused-of-making-thousands-from-channel-crossings

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/16/decathlon-stops-canoe-sales-in-northern-france-to-curb-migrant-crossings

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats/migrants-detected-crossing-the-english-channel-in-small-boats-last-7-days

https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/50834/inside-frances-battle-against-migrant-smugglers-a-closer-look

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/convicted-the-east-london-money-launderer-who-took-payments-for-small-boats-crossings

https://www.facebook.com/NCA/videos/-arrest-footagea-man-investigated-by-the-nca-for-laundering-money-made-by-people/1573557123417557/

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/man-convicted-running-illegal-financial-service-people-smugglers

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/gang-leader-who-bragged-of-smuggling-more-than-100-women-into-uk-jailed-for-10-years

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/migrant-channel-crossings-europol-nca-arrests-b2116830.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67145474

https://news.sky.com/video/former-landlady-of-hewa-rahimpur-says-she-is-in-shock-over-people-smuggling-allegations-12956583

https://news.sky.com/story/hewa-rahimpur-gang-leader-who-smuggled-up-to-10-000-migrants-across-channel-jailed-12986202

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/prolific-small-boats-people-smuggling-network-dismantled-as-part-of-international-operation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC85bBq8MXo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuZjG3UCufg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv2mJtx9o5M&t=53s

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gunfights-between-channel-smugglers-jns9dcntj

https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/06/19/mediterranean-migration-crisis/why-people-flee-what-eu-should-do

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/663cdb73bd01f5ed3279386c/07_May_2024_Small_boats_-_time_series.ods

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/channel-migrants-small-boats-asylum-rwanda-b1155217.html