Countering Organised Crime in Seaports
Analysing how the technical features and political dynamics at play in seaports around the world shape vulnerabilities to organised crime and illicit trade.
Seaports are among the most significant nodes in transnational criminal supply chains globally. Run and accessed by a multiplicity of actors and stakeholders, the infrastructure and technical operations involved dictate the ease with which organised crime groups can exploit them to sustain successful criminal business.
However, these characteristics also have political implications. The political dynamics associated with the sector and its critical facilities are of significant importance to the ease of criminal infiltration. To enhance security, it is essential to implement strategies that are not only technically sound but also politically viable, necessitating consideration of the political dynamics present in the pertinent port environment and its broader context.
Overview
This project examines the vulnerabilities of global seaports to organised crime and corruption, exploring how these critical trade gateways are targeted by criminal groups. It examines the political interests, incentives and institutions involved in seaport functioning, using a service characteristics approach to establish structural weaknesses, political commitment and other factors that support or undermine efforts to counter criminal and corrupt activity.Â
The research provides policymakers with novel insights to inform strategic decision-making amidst an expanding policy focus on resilience of port facilities.
Aims and objectives
Limited previous research has been conducted to interrogate these dynamics – or their implications for the effectiveness of structural reforms targeting criminal exploitation and corrupt incentives. Instead, efforts to address criminal abuse have often concentrated on procedural improvements, with a focus on the technical and managerial aspects of port operations.
To address this gap, this research project examines the political interests, incentives and institutions involved in seaport functioning.
Key questions to be explored include the following:
- What characteristics, intrinsic to port services and infrastructure, present political and practical constraints to strengthen the resilience of seaports and protect them from criminal activity, and why?
 - What type of interventions have been undertaken to harden seaports against criminality, and how far have these accounted for technical and political dynamics, and what have been the consequences?
 - How should future organised crime-focused port interventions consider the particularities of port services, and their implications for political dynamics, to ensure more effective outcomes?
Sponsors
Serious Organised Crime Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) Programme
Funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and led by the University of Birmingham, SOC ACE aims to help unlock the black box of political will for tackling organised crime, transnational corruption, kleptocracy and illicit finance through research that informs politically feasible, technically sound interventions and strategies.
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Project team
Cathy Haenlein
Director of Organised Crime and Policing Studies
Organised Crime and Policing
Elijah Glantz
Research Fellow
Organised Crime and Policing
Professor Anna Sergi
RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, OCP; SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Mark Williams
Senior Programme Manager | SHOC Network Member - Researcher
Organised Crime and Policing
