22 – 24 Jun 2017
Massive development of the region’s infrastructure, increasing trade and greater cultural and government collaboration will speed up economic development in OBOR countries. However, improved connectivity between these countries may also foster the cross-border movement of illicit products and the development of criminal networks. Some of these countries are known for their weak law enforcement and rampant corruption. Such vulnerability provides fertile ground for transnational organised crime. Thus, whether the launch of OBOR will be accompanied by the rise of a new ‘Silk Road of organised crime’ will be of considerable interest to policymakers, law enforcers and criminologists.
The Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences organised an international symposium in June 2017 to discuss the problems of transnational organised crime and corruption in the context of ‘One Belt – One Road’.
A book, ‘Organized Crime and Corruption Across Borders: Exploring the Belt and Road Initiative’, was published following the event.
Bringing together experts across the Global South and Europe, this book considers transnational organized crime and corruption across One Belt One Road (OBOR). It examines crime and corruption in China and its international United Front tactic; analyzes various forms of transnational organized crime such as trafficking of illegal drugs, looted antiquities, and wildlife and counterfeit products; and presents studies on corruption and organized crime in selected OBOR countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Poland, and Bangladesh.
This book makes a significant contribution to the development of southern criminology and will also be of interest to those engaged with transnational organized crime, political economy, international relations, and Asian and Chinese studies.