Dark Networks as Problems

Raab, Jörg; Milward, H. Brinton

doi:10.1093/jpart/mug029

Cited by 107 publications

(108 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Organized crime manages illicit businesses such as drugs, firearms, counterfeiting, cargo theft, human trafficking, illegal gambling, extortion, racketeering, and usury (Raab and Milward 2003). Illicit markets' value amounts to 2.1 trillion USD, approximately 3.6% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP) (Mitchell 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tough on criminal wealth? Exploring the link between organized crime’s asset confiscation and regional entrepreneurship

Operti

2018

Small Bus Econ

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This paper addresses the question BHow does the fight against organized crime affect regional entrepreneurship?^We focus on asset confiscation in relation to alleged connections of their owners with organized crime, a highly debated policy measure against organized crime. Extending work on institutions and regional entrepreneurship, we propose that confiscation has contrasting effects on regional entries. On the one hand, confiscation of economic assets associated with criminal organizations' legitimate activities in a region reduces competition and triggers renewal, fostering new entries. On the other hand, seizure of criminal organizations' operational assets weakens their ability to exercise sovereignty, creating an institutional vacuum that lowers founding rates. Our results, based on a longitudinal study of Italian provinces between 2009 and 2013, provide support for both hypotheses. We also find that the negative effect associated with the confiscation of operational assets is mitigated when local governments have policies facilitating asset redeployment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tough on criminal wealth? Exploring the link between organized crime’s asset confiscation and regional entrepreneurship

Operti

2018

Small Bus Econ

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“…“Dark networks” is an analytical metaphor applied to illegal and covert organizational activity that takes a network form (Raab and Milward ; see also, Milward and Raab ; Bakker, Raab, and Milward ). Raab and Milward developed the metaphor—and its associated analytic framework—out of a need to understand the increasingly decentralized nature of groups engaged in illicit and covert activities.…”

Section: Dark Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prior to Raab and Milward's work on dark networks, the majority of network literature viewed the structural capacity for confronting complex issues in solely positive terms. Applying insights from network research in organizations and public policy, Raab and Milward () developed the idea that public policy problems like crime or terrorism generally take a collaborative effort to contain them, since they supersede the jurisdiction of any single agency or nation. Building on multiple in‐depth case studies, Raab and Milward develop propositions for how these dark networks, as organizational structures, can be used efficiently and effectively for illegal ends.…”

Section: Dark Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The drug trade represents the largest single income source for both criminal organizations and terrorist groups (Hutchinson and O'Malley :1098). Analysts worry about security risks associated with criminal and terrorist organizations sharing knowledge, creating alliances, and even mutually integrating (Raab and Milward ; Dishman ; Milward and Raab ). Building on a broad review of the literature on the crime–terror nexus, Makarenko (:129) argues that interaction and cooperation between drug smugglers and terrorist groups may result in these organizations “learning from one another, and adapting to each other's successes and failures.” This learning need not take the form of the active transmission of knowledge to increase the capacity and versatility of covert and illegal organizations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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When Terrorists Go Bad: Analyzing Terrorist Organizations’ Involvement in Drug Smuggling

2014

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The intersection of terrorism and organized crime is a central global security concern. However, the conditions that contribute to this intersection or hinder its development are widely debated. Drawing on prominent cases of ideologically driven violent nonstate actors engaged in illicit economies, some scholars argue that this intersection is a logical evolution. Other scholars, focusing on the fact that relatively few groups engage in both organized crime and terrorism, argue that ideological differences hinder this intersection. We use data on 395 terrorist organizations to analyze how organizational and environmental factors affect the likelihood of terrorist involvement in illicit drug trafficking. Our analysis shows that the degree of connectivity within networks of terrorist groups is the most significant predictor of a group engaging in drug trafficking. Further, contrary to the theorized effects of ideology, an explicit religious ideology has no significant effect while an ethnopolitical ideology actually increases the likelihood of drug trafficking.

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“…Indeed, concerns associated with contracting, grants, and intergovernmental networks have been voiced for decades (DeHoog, 1984;Frederickson, 1997;Moe, 1987;Raab & Milward, 2003) particularly regarding implications for democratic values and human capital concerns. There have even been prominent calls for returns to stronger, bureaucracy-led government (Olsen, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%