Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime

Modern Slavery and the €25 Billion Agro-Mafia The recent murder of four farm workers in Italy has unmasked the extreme violence underpinning parts of the Italian agricultural sector. Surveillance footage capturing the targeted killing of workers who demanded their wages highlights the reach of the caporalato system. This is part of a systemic exploitation where gangmasters control every aspect of the workers' lives, including visas, transport and housing in informal slums. This system is a core pillar of the agro-mafia, which integrates local crime rings with larger organized crime syndicates. 80% of victims are migrants who are forced into labour through threats of violence, producing goods that eventually reach global supermarket shelves. 
 To disrupt these illicit markets, we must look beyond the ‘Made in Italy’ label and address the criminal infrastructure that enables such profound human rights abuses. Share this content to support our work in mapping and exposing transnational organized crime. Giulia D'Amico #SupplyChainIntegrity #OrganizedCrime #Agromafia #HumanRights

Félicitations à l’APADIME pour cette reconnaissance environnementale décernée par le gouvernement du Cameroun à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale de l’environnement. Dans le bassin du Congo, la protection de l’environnement exige engagement, résilience et courage. Alors que les défis environnementaux s’intensifient, le travail des organisations locales et des leaders communautaires est plus important que jamais. Nous sommes ravis de voir les efforts de l’APADIME reconnus à travers cette distinction. Au-delà d’une récompense, elle témoigne de l’impact d’une action soutenue visant à protéger les écosystèmes, renforcer les communautés et préserver l’avenir du bassin du Congo. Félicitations à Estelle Ewoule et à toute l’équipe de l’APADIME. Nous sommes heureux de constater que votre travail est reconnu et que vous continuez à renforcer vos capacités afin de promouvoir un changement positif au Cameroun. La GI-TOC et le Fonds de résilience sont fiers de collaborer avec des partenaires dont le travail démontre la force du leadership local dans la mise en œuvre de changements porteurs de sens. #WorldEnvironmentDay #CongoBasin #EnvironmentalProtection #GIResilience

How are criminal networks turning legal visas into smuggling routes? In late 2025, a group of Chinese nationals arrived in Belgrade legally. Days later, they were attempting to cross the Danube in a smuggler’s boat. This is the reality of ‘hybrid smuggling’; a growing phenomenon where migrants enter the Western Balkans through legitimate channels before turning to professionalized criminal networks to reach the EU. Organized crime groups are now deeply embedded in the recruitment process of foreign workers in the Western Balkans, often collaborating with private companies to secure visas through fraudulent contracts. This is not just an enforcement issue; it is a systemic exploitation of labour migration and tourist visa regimes. To protect vulnerable people and maintain regional security, Western Balkan governments must oversight of labour migration channels to prevent involvement of organized crime and the exploitation of foreign nationals. Read our latest analysis to realize the true scale of the professionalized smuggling trade in the Balkans: https://buff.ly/hIYv7SW #BalkanRoute #HybridSmuggling #HumanRights #GITOC

In Cité Soleil, schools continue to operate despite the challenges posed by organized violence. Parents, teachers and students have made the difficult decision to keep education alive, recognizing that schools remain essential spaces for children and families. As concerns grow over the impact of intensified drone operations in densely populated neighborhoods, local education leaders are calling for greater protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Schools are not military objectives; they are places of learning, safety and hope. Through its Resilience Fund, the GI-TOC supports community-led organizations working to strengthen resilience and safeguard civic space in contexts affected by violence. The protection of civilians, particularly children, must remain central to all security responses. Find the full video here: https://buff.ly/EbqOsNA #ProtectEducation #CivilianProtection #GIResilience #Haiti

The sentencing of Sean McGovern marks a significant moment in ongoing efforts to disrupt the Kinahan Organized Crime Group and address the broader challenges posed by transnational organized crime. In a recent interview with RTÉ Prime Time, John Collins, Director of Academic Engagement at GITOC, discussed the operational and diplomatic efforts that helped bring major organized crime figures to justice. He also explored the role of international cooperation in countering transnational organized crime, including the ongoing extradition process involving Daniel Kinahan. Watch the interview to hear insights on the intersection of organized crime, illicit financial networks and international law enforcement cooperation. https://buff.ly/WOCFQsv #OrganizedCrime #TransnationalCrime #IllicitEconomies #LawEnforcement

❇️ This month's #ECOSolve newsletter highlights the latest data from our Global Monitoring System, including community efforts via the ECO-SOLVERS campaign, key points from our Geneva briefing and CCPCJ participation, a new environmental crime podcast, and our recent report on AI and environmental crime following the Bangkok workshop.

Mass violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) is not merely a symptom of state failure; it has become an organized system of extraction. Our latest investigation exposes a hybrid system of governance where political elites, foreign mercenaries and transnational criminal networks converge to consolidate control over high-value markets. Today we share with you some key strategic insights: ■ The Touadéra–Wagner nexus: The state increasingly acts as a broker for the reorganization and capture of illicit markets, with the Wagner Group at the centre of this predatory framework. ■ Logistics of war: Central African Republic now functions as a strategic hub for Wagner’s transnational air logistics network, facilitating the movement of arms and personnel across the continent.
 ■ Economic consolidation: From government-backed fuel monopolies to the laundering of at least US$180 million in gold annually, illicit revenues are bypassing the public treasury at unprecedented levels. To disrupt this cycle, international responses must move beyond traditional peacebuilding and prioritize the dismantling of the criminalized structures embedded within the state. 🔗 Read the full report here: https://buff.ly/kVStktS 🔗 Follow this link to explore our interactive mapping tool: https://buff.ly/v9qVjaK Nathalia Dukhan | Ruben de Koning #CentralAfricanRepublic #OrganizedCrime #WagnerGroup #SecurityPolicy

Unmasking the Truth: When Community Activism Becomes Urban Terror. PAGAD was a front for Kibla, a militant group that viewed the post-apartheid state as a legitimate target for destabilization. While the public saw a campaign against drugs, intelligence officers were discovering something far more dangerous: a 30-cell terrorist network training in secret with illegal weapons. Despite clear evidence of weapon raids on police stations and the acquisition of military-grade hand grenades, many in the intelligence community refused to believe it was a serious threat. This failure to act allowed the group to gain a two-year head start, resulting in over 150 fatalities and several hundred bombings. Watch our latest Underworlds episode to realise how data and analysis can unmask hidden criminal agendas: https://buff.ly/oOWoEp2 #SouthAfricaHistory #UrbanWarfare #Kibla #GITOC

Gandoca, Costa Rica no se está perdiendo por accidente. El Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre Gandoca–Manzanillo ha sido debilitado durante décadas: leyes que cambian, permisos que avanzan, instituciones que callan. Más de 184 mil hectáreas de bosque perdidas en el país. Incluso dentro de zonas protegidas. Investigaciones de Hora Cero documentan cómo defensores y periodistas sostienen el registro de lo que ocurre en el territorio. Lo hacen bajo amenazas, violencia y sin protección. Aun así, continúan en esta labor. Lee el reportaje completo sobre el ecocidio en: https://buff.ly/99AY1Id #Ecocidio #GIResilience #CostaRica