The war in Ukraine has spurred the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. W... more The war in Ukraine has spurred the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. While the unforeseen scale of the refugee crisis meant that much of the border authorities’ efforts and resources were occupied, people smuggling networks took advantage of the situation, and the number of irregular migrants from the Middle East travelling along the Western Balkan route soared. In 2022, the Western Balkan route became the most active European migration route, surpassing the Central and Western Mediterranean routes. As part as its ongoing collaboration with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, CSD assessed the factors that contributed to the emergence of the Western Balkan route as the most critical for irregular migration to the EU during 2022, focusing in particular on the impact of the war in Ukraine on refugee flows from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its implications for the future. The current report analyzes how refugee flows from Ukraine have affected pre-existing movements of migrants from MENA countries on the Western Balkan route indirectly, exacerbating dynamics and network operations and estimates the overall number of irregular migrants smuggled along the Western Balkan route since 2016.
The economic downturn in 2009 led to a revival of illegal and predatory lending in Bulgaria, as m... more The economic downturn in 2009 led to a revival of illegal and predatory lending in Bulgaria, as many households and businesses were struggling to make ends meet and turned to shadow financiers. Cases of victimised usury clients increased, as well as the use of coercive, at times violent, debt collection methods associated with the activity. This is hardly surprising as illegal and predatory lending practices in Bulgaria have long been associated with organised criminal groups branching out into a lucrative and growing usury market. A recently emerged trend is resourceful criminal organisations, facilitated by loose financial regulations, legitimising their lending practices by operating on the legal market as financial lending institutions with local to regional coverage, but still keeping their predatory lending business model. In order to explain the resurgence of predatory and illegal lending in Bulgaria, this chapter will analyse in detail the overall context that enabled the proliferation of usury activities in recent years, the different modalities of usury ranging from entirely illegal lending to legal-like predatory practices, the role and involvement of organised crime, as well as the financial aspects of usury activities. This chapter draws on data from a number of in-depth interviews with law enforcement officers, experts and convicted offenders carried out in the course of 2014.
In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an... more In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an upsurge in crime rates. The Covid-19 pandemic unfolded a new and very different type of crisis, with diverse health, social, and economic effects and unprecedented low crime levels. Bulgarian authorities intervened twice during the year and imposed restriction measures from the beginning of March 2020 until the end of May and again in mid-November until the end of December. Although the imposed public health measures in the spring were quite successful and the country had one of the lowest registered cases in the EU, the lockdown eventually hit hard the economy and brought relentless social unrest and protests against the government during the summer. The current chapter provides an overview and analysis of the crime trends in Bulgaria in the period 1990–2020 and the broader environment and its factors that shaped 2020.
The volume explores and assesses the origins and current state of the private security sector in ... more The volume explores and assesses the origins and current state of the private security sector in four Southeast European countries (Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Kosovo), with specific reference to principles of good governance and the protection of human rights. In particular, the authors examine when and how the first private security companies developed and whether and how PSCs, their clients, and other factors such as relevant legislation determined the services private security offer today, and which companies were established/have survived in the market. The studies look into the economic importance of private security especially as a source of employment. They also explore if PSCs are able to provide quality security services by looking at the background and qualifications of managers and employees. A number of important questions are addressed: who are the people who work for PSCs, what is their level of expertise and professionalism and what are their working conditions? How important are (political) relationships for the success of a PSC and do domestic political considerations have an impact on which PSC receives contracts and how well they work? How is quality defined and enforced by both PSCs and their clients, especially public sector clients? Finally, do PSCs and state security providers coordinate, cooperate or compete with each other?
Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладва... more Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладване на инциденти от жертви на престъпления. Ниските нива на съобщаване създават системен проблем, тъй като възпрепятстват ефективното разследване и правораздаване, което повишава риска от нарастване на конвенционалните престъпления. Настоящият анализ разглежда основните фактори зад тези тенденции, по-специално слабостите в полицейската регистрация на престъпления, и дава препоръки за насърчаване на гражданска активност и доверие в полицията. [The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна год... more Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна година разглежда актуалното състояние, обема и структурата на основните престъпни пазари, както и тенденциите в развитието на организираната престъпност в периода 2017 – 2019 г. Настоящата оценка използва данни за 2019 г. и обхваща четиринадесет престъпни пазара. The 2020 Bulgarian Organised Crime Threat Assessment is the third in a series of studies which, on an annual basis, canvasses the state, volume and structure of the major criminal markets. The report also captures the trends related to organised crime over the period 2017–2019. The present assessment relies on data for 2019 covering fourteen criminal markets.
The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement... more The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement against it in four EU countries along the Balkan route – Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania. Having been affected by both illegal production and illegal trade, these countries face a number of vulnerabilities and threats in their capacities for effective law enforcement. In order to measure and design methods for improving these capacities, the study analyses two comprehensive data sets – the data collected by the tobacco industry on illicit consumption and the institutional data on seizures of illicit cigarettes. The result are several innovative instruments for assessing the illegal cigarette market, as well as police performance and corruption vulnerabilities in law enforcement and revenue agencies.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2024
Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put in... more Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put into coining a precise definition that would allow distinguishing it from other similar predatory practices such as blackmail, bribery, coercion, and robbery. Academic literature classifies extortive practices according to their degree of complexity and involvement of organized crime. In this sense, the simplest form of extortion displays one offender who receives a one-time benefit from one victim, while the most sophisticated form is illustrated by racketeering, whereby an organized crime group systematically extorts money from multiple victims. Extortion as an organized crime activity can involve both episodic extortion practices and well-rooted systemic practices over a certain territory, where the latter is usually regarded as perpetrated by Mafia-type criminal organizations. Some scholars argue that extortion racketeering as a Mafia crime should be defined as sale and provision of extralegal protection services—protection of property rights, dispute resolution, and enforcement of contracts. However, others contend that extortion by Mafia-type organizations should not be counted as an economic activity but instead be considered a kind of illegal taxation that is imposed by quasi-political groups. Hence, they argue that it is a form of illegal governance and is a transfer of value that creates no economic output.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element of both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.
The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of rep... more The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of increase in conventional crime.
The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.
The confiscation of assets acquired from criminal activities – organized crime and corruption in ... more The confiscation of assets acquired from criminal activities – organized crime and corruption in particular – has been a topical issue in recent years. Contemporary theory and practice establish that the confiscation of proceeds of crimes is indispensible if the fight against serious criminality is to be effective. They also establish that the objective behind asset confiscation extends beyond depriving criminal enterprises of their ill-gotten gains. Being increasingly aware of the full array of considerations behind asset confiscation, EU MSs have turned their attention to the compensation of victims –individual victims and deprived communities alike – and to the maintenance of public confidence in the justice system.
This report analyses laws and practices for the management and disposal of confiscated assets in the European Union. The analysis explores the challenges and best practices of the Member States in this hitherto neglected area and strives to contribute to improvement of the overall effectiveness of the existing confiscation systems. This mapping has been carried out by the Center for the Study of Democracy in collaboration with University of Palermo – Department of European Studies and International Integration (UNIPA).
Extortion racketeering in Bulgaria is usually associated with the early nineties and the rise of ... more Extortion racketeering in Bulgaria is usually associated with the early nineties and the rise of organised crime at the onset of transition from the communist regime to the market economy. The typical protection racket involving physical violence, destruction of property, arsons and bombings was the first and most profitable niche for organised crime groups in the country and remained an important source of criminal profits until the late nineties. The rackets were territorially based and systemic and were used to gain control over certain regions and infiltrate and monopolise businesses (Transcrime, 2009).
Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладва... more Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладване на инциденти от жертви на престъпления. Ниските нива на съобщаване създават системен проблем, тъй като възпрепятстват ефективното разследване и правораздаване, което повишава риска от нарастване на конвенционалните престъпления. Настоящият анализ разглежда основните фактори зад тези тенденции, по-специално слабостите в полицейската регистрация на престъпления, и дава препоръки за насърчаване на гражданска активност и доверие в полицията.
[The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
The report Financing of Organised Crime contributes to a better understanding of the financial as... more The report Financing of Organised Crime contributes to a better understanding of the financial aspects of organised crime. The analysis explores topics such as the sources and mechanisms for financing organised crime, settlement of payments, access to financing in critical moments, costs of business and the management of profits. Drawing on the results of the analysis, the report also suggests possible new approaches to tackling organised crime. The report has been produced with the joint efforts of the Center for the Study of Democracy, the University of Trento and Teesside University and in close collaboration with the State Agency National Security in Bulgaria, the State Police in Latvia and the French National Institute for Advanced Studies in Security and Justice.
The war in Ukraine has spurred the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. W... more The war in Ukraine has spurred the largest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. While the unforeseen scale of the refugee crisis meant that much of the border authorities’ efforts and resources were occupied, people smuggling networks took advantage of the situation, and the number of irregular migrants from the Middle East travelling along the Western Balkan route soared. In 2022, the Western Balkan route became the most active European migration route, surpassing the Central and Western Mediterranean routes. As part as its ongoing collaboration with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, CSD assessed the factors that contributed to the emergence of the Western Balkan route as the most critical for irregular migration to the EU during 2022, focusing in particular on the impact of the war in Ukraine on refugee flows from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its implications for the future. The current report analyzes how refugee flows from Ukraine have affected pre-existing movements of migrants from MENA countries on the Western Balkan route indirectly, exacerbating dynamics and network operations and estimates the overall number of irregular migrants smuggled along the Western Balkan route since 2016.
The economic downturn in 2009 led to a revival of illegal and predatory lending in Bulgaria, as m... more The economic downturn in 2009 led to a revival of illegal and predatory lending in Bulgaria, as many households and businesses were struggling to make ends meet and turned to shadow financiers. Cases of victimised usury clients increased, as well as the use of coercive, at times violent, debt collection methods associated with the activity. This is hardly surprising as illegal and predatory lending practices in Bulgaria have long been associated with organised criminal groups branching out into a lucrative and growing usury market. A recently emerged trend is resourceful criminal organisations, facilitated by loose financial regulations, legitimising their lending practices by operating on the legal market as financial lending institutions with local to regional coverage, but still keeping their predatory lending business model. In order to explain the resurgence of predatory and illegal lending in Bulgaria, this chapter will analyse in detail the overall context that enabled the proliferation of usury activities in recent years, the different modalities of usury ranging from entirely illegal lending to legal-like predatory practices, the role and involvement of organised crime, as well as the financial aspects of usury activities. This chapter draws on data from a number of in-depth interviews with law enforcement officers, experts and convicted offenders carried out in the course of 2014.
In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an... more In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an upsurge in crime rates. The Covid-19 pandemic unfolded a new and very different type of crisis, with diverse health, social, and economic effects and unprecedented low crime levels. Bulgarian authorities intervened twice during the year and imposed restriction measures from the beginning of March 2020 until the end of May and again in mid-November until the end of December. Although the imposed public health measures in the spring were quite successful and the country had one of the lowest registered cases in the EU, the lockdown eventually hit hard the economy and brought relentless social unrest and protests against the government during the summer. The current chapter provides an overview and analysis of the crime trends in Bulgaria in the period 1990–2020 and the broader environment and its factors that shaped 2020.
The volume explores and assesses the origins and current state of the private security sector in ... more The volume explores and assesses the origins and current state of the private security sector in four Southeast European countries (Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania and Kosovo), with specific reference to principles of good governance and the protection of human rights. In particular, the authors examine when and how the first private security companies developed and whether and how PSCs, their clients, and other factors such as relevant legislation determined the services private security offer today, and which companies were established/have survived in the market. The studies look into the economic importance of private security especially as a source of employment. They also explore if PSCs are able to provide quality security services by looking at the background and qualifications of managers and employees. A number of important questions are addressed: who are the people who work for PSCs, what is their level of expertise and professionalism and what are their working conditions? How important are (political) relationships for the success of a PSC and do domestic political considerations have an impact on which PSC receives contracts and how well they work? How is quality defined and enforced by both PSCs and their clients, especially public sector clients? Finally, do PSCs and state security providers coordinate, cooperate or compete with each other?
Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладва... more Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладване на инциденти от жертви на престъпления. Ниските нива на съобщаване създават системен проблем, тъй като възпрепятстват ефективното разследване и правораздаване, което повишава риска от нарастване на конвенционалните престъпления. Настоящият анализ разглежда основните фактори зад тези тенденции, по-специално слабостите в полицейската регистрация на престъпления, и дава препоръки за насърчаване на гражданска активност и доверие в полицията. [The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна год... more Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна година разглежда актуалното състояние, обема и структурата на основните престъпни пазари, както и тенденциите в развитието на организираната престъпност в периода 2017 – 2019 г. Настоящата оценка използва данни за 2019 г. и обхваща четиринадесет престъпни пазара. The 2020 Bulgarian Organised Crime Threat Assessment is the third in a series of studies which, on an annual basis, canvasses the state, volume and structure of the major criminal markets. The report also captures the trends related to organised crime over the period 2017–2019. The present assessment relies on data for 2019 covering fourteen criminal markets.
The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement... more The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement against it in four EU countries along the Balkan route – Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania. Having been affected by both illegal production and illegal trade, these countries face a number of vulnerabilities and threats in their capacities for effective law enforcement. In order to measure and design methods for improving these capacities, the study analyses two comprehensive data sets – the data collected by the tobacco industry on illicit consumption and the institutional data on seizures of illicit cigarettes. The result are several innovative instruments for assessing the illegal cigarette market, as well as police performance and corruption vulnerabilities in law enforcement and revenue agencies.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2024
Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put in... more Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put into coining a precise definition that would allow distinguishing it from other similar predatory practices such as blackmail, bribery, coercion, and robbery. Academic literature classifies extortive practices according to their degree of complexity and involvement of organized crime. In this sense, the simplest form of extortion displays one offender who receives a one-time benefit from one victim, while the most sophisticated form is illustrated by racketeering, whereby an organized crime group systematically extorts money from multiple victims. Extortion as an organized crime activity can involve both episodic extortion practices and well-rooted systemic practices over a certain territory, where the latter is usually regarded as perpetrated by Mafia-type criminal organizations. Some scholars argue that extortion racketeering as a Mafia crime should be defined as sale and provision of extralegal protection services—protection of property rights, dispute resolution, and enforcement of contracts. However, others contend that extortion by Mafia-type organizations should not be counted as an economic activity but instead be considered a kind of illegal taxation that is imposed by quasi-political groups. Hence, they argue that it is a form of illegal governance and is a transfer of value that creates no economic output.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element of both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.
The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of rep... more The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of increase in conventional crime.
The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.
The confiscation of assets acquired from criminal activities – organized crime and corruption in ... more The confiscation of assets acquired from criminal activities – organized crime and corruption in particular – has been a topical issue in recent years. Contemporary theory and practice establish that the confiscation of proceeds of crimes is indispensible if the fight against serious criminality is to be effective. They also establish that the objective behind asset confiscation extends beyond depriving criminal enterprises of their ill-gotten gains. Being increasingly aware of the full array of considerations behind asset confiscation, EU MSs have turned their attention to the compensation of victims –individual victims and deprived communities alike – and to the maintenance of public confidence in the justice system.
This report analyses laws and practices for the management and disposal of confiscated assets in the European Union. The analysis explores the challenges and best practices of the Member States in this hitherto neglected area and strives to contribute to improvement of the overall effectiveness of the existing confiscation systems. This mapping has been carried out by the Center for the Study of Democracy in collaboration with University of Palermo – Department of European Studies and International Integration (UNIPA).
Extortion racketeering in Bulgaria is usually associated with the early nineties and the rise of ... more Extortion racketeering in Bulgaria is usually associated with the early nineties and the rise of organised crime at the onset of transition from the communist regime to the market economy. The typical protection racket involving physical violence, destruction of property, arsons and bombings was the first and most profitable niche for organised crime groups in the country and remained an important source of criminal profits until the late nineties. The rackets were territorially based and systemic and were used to gain control over certain regions and infiltrate and monopolise businesses (Transcrime, 2009).
Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладва... more Ниското доверие на българските граждани в полицията оказва пряко влияние върху нивото на докладване на инциденти от жертви на престъпления. Ниските нива на съобщаване създават системен проблем, тъй като възпрепятстват ефективното разследване и правораздаване, което повишава риска от нарастване на конвенционалните престъпления. Настоящият анализ разглежда основните фактори зад тези тенденции, по-специално слабостите в полицейската регистрация на престъпления, и дава препоръки за насърчаване на гражданска активност и доверие в полицията.
[The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
The report Financing of Organised Crime contributes to a better understanding of the financial as... more The report Financing of Organised Crime contributes to a better understanding of the financial aspects of organised crime. The analysis explores topics such as the sources and mechanisms for financing organised crime, settlement of payments, access to financing in critical moments, costs of business and the management of profits. Drawing on the results of the analysis, the report also suggests possible new approaches to tackling organised crime. The report has been produced with the joint efforts of the Center for the Study of Democracy, the University of Trento and Teesside University and in close collaboration with the State Agency National Security in Bulgaria, the State Police in Latvia and the French National Institute for Advanced Studies in Security and Justice.
Siegel, D., Dobryninas, A., Becucci, S. (eds) Covid-19, Society and Crime in Europe. Studies of Organized Crime, vol 21. Springer, Cham., 2022
In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an... more In the last 30 years, Bulgaria witnessed several big socio-economic crises, and each triggered an upsurge in crime rates. The Covid-19 pandemic unfolded a new and very different type of crisis, with diverse health, social, and economic effects and unprecedented low crime levels. Bulgarian authorities intervened twice during the year and imposed restriction measures from the beginning of March 2020 until the end of May and again in mid-November until the end of December. Although the imposed public health measures in the spring were quite successful and the country had one of the lowest registered cases in the EU, the lockdown eventually hit hard the economy and brought relentless social unrest and protests against the government during the summer. The current chapter provides an overview and analysis of the crime trends in Bulgaria in the period 1990–2020 and the broader environment and its factors that shaped 2020.
Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна год... more Изследването Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020 за трета поредна година разглежда актуалното състояние, обема и структурата на основните престъпни пазари, както и тенденциите в развитието на организираната престъпност в периода 2017 – 2019 г. Настоящата оценка използва данни за 2019 г. и обхваща четиринадесет престъпни пазара.
The 2020 Bulgarian Organised Crime Threat Assessment is the third in a series of studies which, on an annual basis, canvasses the state, volume and structure of the major criminal markets. The report also captures the trends related to organised crime over the period 2017–2019. The present assessment relies on data for 2019 covering fourteen criminal markets.
The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement... more The current report focuses on the illicit tobacco market and the effectiveness of law enforcement against it in four EU countries along the Balkan route – Bulgaria, Italy, Greece and Romania. Having been affected by both illegal production and illegal trade, these countries face a number of vulnerabilities and threats in their capacities for effective law enforcement. In order to measure and design methods for improving these capacities, the study analyses two comprehensive data sets – the data collected by the tobacco industry on illicit consumption and the institutional data on seizures of illicit cigarettes. The result are several innovative instruments for assessing the illegal cigarette market, as well as police performance and corruption vulnerabilities in law enforcement and revenue agencies.
The report 'Extortion racketeering in the EU: vulnerability factors' analyses extortion racketeer... more The report 'Extortion racketeering in the EU: vulnerability factors' analyses extortion racketeering forms and practices in six EU member states. The analysis disentangles the risk and the vulnerability factors for enterprises in two business sectors – agriculture and hospitality – as well as in the Chinese communities. Drawing on the results of the analysis, the report suggests new policies for tackling extortion racketeering in the EU. This report has been produced with the joint efforts of the Center for the Study of Democracy, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses y de la Seguridad – Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Transcrime – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano and Vitosha Research and with the support of Guardia Civil in Spain.
The first publication of the project explores and assesses the origins and current state of the p... more The first publication of the project explores and assesses the origins and current state of the private security sector in each of the target countries, with specific reference to principles of good governance and the protection of human rights. In particular, the authors examine when and how the first private security companies developed and whether and how PSCs, their clients, and other factors such as relevant legislation determined the services private security offer today, and which companies were established/have survived in the market. The studies look into the economic importance of private security especially as a source of employment. They also explore if PSCs are able to provide quality security services by looking at the background and qualifications of managers and employees. A number of important questions are addressed: who are the people who work for PSCs, what is their level of expertise and professionalism and what are their working conditions? How important are (political) relationships for the success of a PSC and do domestic political considerations have an impact on which PSC receives contracts and how well they work? How is quality defined and enforced by both PSCs and their clients, especially public sector clients? Finally, do PSCs and state security providers coordinate, cooperate or compete with each other?
Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put in... more Extortion as a crime has long attracted the interest of scholars, and much effort has been put into coining a precise definition that would allow distinguishing it from other similar predatory practices such as blackmail, bribery, coercion, and robbery. Academic literature classifies extortive practices according to their degree of complexity and involvement of organized crime. In this sense, the simplest form of extortion displays one offender who receives a one-time benefit from one victim, while the most sophisticated form is illustrated by racketeering, whereby an organized crime group systematically extorts money from multiple victims. Extortion as an organized crime activity can involve both episodic extortion practices and well-rooted systemic practices over a certain territory, where the latter is usually regarded as perpetrated by Mafia-type criminal organizations. Some scholars argue that extortion racketeering as a Mafia crime should be defined as sale and provision of extralegal protection services—protection of property rights, dispute resolution, and enforcement of contracts. However, others contend that extortion by Mafia-type organizations should not be counted as an economic activity but rather be considered as an illegal form of taxation imposed by quasi-political groups. In economic terms, it is a transfer of value and creates no economic output.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under the color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element for both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.
Il rapporto «Estorsione organizzata nell’Unione Europea: fattori di vulnerabilità» analizza le fo... more Il rapporto «Estorsione organizzata nell’Unione Europea: fattori di vulnerabilità» analizza le forme di estorsione a opera della criminalità organizzata in sei Stati membri dell’Unione Europea. L’analisi chiarisce i fattori di rischio e di vulnerabilità per le imprese in due settori dell’economia, quello agricolo e quello dell’ospitalità, e all’interno delle comunità cinesi. Basandosi sui risultati dell’analisi, il rapporto suggerisce nuove politiche per far fronte all’estorsione organizzata nella UE. Questo rapporto è stato realizzato grazie al lavoro congiunto del Center for the Study of Democracy, l’Instituto de Ciencias Forenses y de la Seguridad dell’Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, il centro di ricerca Transcrime dell’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano e il Vitosha Research, e con il supporto della Guardia Civil in Spagna.
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Papers by Atanas Rusev
As part as its ongoing collaboration with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, CSD assessed the factors that contributed to the emergence of the Western Balkan route as the most critical for irregular migration to the EU during 2022, focusing in particular on the impact of the war in Ukraine on refugee flows from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its implications for the future. The current report analyzes how refugee flows from Ukraine have affected pre-existing movements of migrants from MENA countries on the Western Balkan route indirectly, exacerbating dynamics and network operations and estimates the overall number of irregular migrants smuggled along the Western Balkan route since 2016.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element of both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.
The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.
This report analyses laws and practices for the management and disposal of confiscated assets in the European Union. The analysis explores the challenges and best practices of the Member States in this hitherto neglected area and strives to contribute to improvement of the overall effectiveness of the existing confiscation systems. This mapping has been carried out by the Center for the Study of Democracy in collaboration with University of Palermo – Department of European Studies and International Integration (UNIPA).
[The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
As part as its ongoing collaboration with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, CSD assessed the factors that contributed to the emergence of the Western Balkan route as the most critical for irregular migration to the EU during 2022, focusing in particular on the impact of the war in Ukraine on refugee flows from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and its implications for the future. The current report analyzes how refugee flows from Ukraine have affected pre-existing movements of migrants from MENA countries on the Western Balkan route indirectly, exacerbating dynamics and network operations and estimates the overall number of irregular migrants smuggled along the Western Balkan route since 2016.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element of both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.
The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.
This report analyses laws and practices for the management and disposal of confiscated assets in the European Union. The analysis explores the challenges and best practices of the Member States in this hitherto neglected area and strives to contribute to improvement of the overall effectiveness of the existing confiscation systems. This mapping has been carried out by the Center for the Study of Democracy in collaboration with University of Palermo – Department of European Studies and International Integration (UNIPA).
[The low trust of Bulgarian citizens in police authorities has a direct impact on the level of reporting of criminal incidents by victims of crime. The low levels of crime reporting create a systemic problem, as they impede the effective investigation and the administration of justice, which poses the risk of an increase in conventional crime. The analysis examines the main factors behind these trends, in particular the flaws in crime registration by the police, and recommends measures for promoting civic activism and trust in police authorities.]
The 2020 Bulgarian Organised Crime Threat Assessment is the third in a series of studies which, on an annual basis, canvasses the state, volume and structure of the major criminal markets. The report also captures the trends related to organised crime over the period 2017–2019. The present assessment relies on data for 2019 covering fourteen criminal markets.
Forenses y de la Seguridad – Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Transcrime – Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano and Vitosha Research and with the support of Guardia Civil in Spain.
In contrast with the traditional understanding of extortion racketeering as “defining activity of organized crime,” some scholars have also focused on “extortion under the color of office,” or, in other words, extortion perpetrated by public servants or politicians in their official capacity. Extortion has often been compared with bribery, since both crimes can be defined as an unlawful conversion of properties and goods belonging to someone else for one’s own personal use and benefit. The debate on the differences between bribery and extortion, however, is a contested one, and has followed two lines of argument: respectively, the degree of coercion involved in the crime and the role (or modus operandi) of public officials in the bribery and extortive scheme. The common element for both crimes is the fact that representatives of the state abuse their power and official position for their own benefit.