29 May 2013

US prosecutes '$6bn money-laundering hub'

More on Liberty Reserve. First hint that there are legitimate users who have lost money in this DoJ action. I wasnt able to find anything objective on the internet yesterday. The prosecutors account, namely that Liberty Reserve was allegedly set up for criminal purposes, seems to have gained total acceptance. EPay Tarjeta? Who are they, then?

Al Qaeda's scathing letter to troublesome employee Mokhtar Belmokhtar reveals inner workings of terrorist group

Some intriguing insights into structures and financial accountability. A full copy of the letter would be most useful. Belmokhtar accused of failing to provide monthly accounts and of not getting a decent ransom for a kidnap.

28 May 2013

The May Newsletter is out!


 In this issue, articles by:
Alessandra Cerreti (Anti-mafia Prosecutor, Italy)
Jürgen Storbeck (Founding Director of Europol)
Nelson Arteaga Botello (FLACSO-México)
Falko A. Ernst (University of Essex)
Alessandro Colletti (Università Roma Tre)
Anna Sergi (University of Essex)

European Drug Report 2013

EMCDDA launches new report on drug trends in Europe. Lots of stats and diagrams. All made easy for stupid journalists to regurgitate!

Liberty Reserve founder arrested in Spain

Arthur Budovsky arrested. Allegedly, Liberty Reserve is a no questions asked metod of moving money around the world. Article is a little confused, clearly taking Costa rica police statements and throwing some background at them. Probably needs a more measured piece to back it up.

27 May 2013

Nigeria Fear of fraud stifles Nigerian dotcom growth

You can shop on the internet in Nigeria, but whatever you do, dont pay for anything via the internet. Must be a way of sorting this out, surely?

21 May 2013

Human dimensions in organised crime, money laundering and corruption

The eleventh volume of Petrus van Duyne's Colloquium series. Your blogger just attended the 12th Colloquium at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge and was very impressed at the way petrus manages to keep his authors on the empirical road.

18 May 2013

Gangsters and politics shake hands in Taiwan

Amazing allegations out of Taiwan. I dont know enough about the source to know what axe is being ground, but the argument fits with Lutetia Paoli's. It's politics stupid! Attempt to manipulate a leadership election in a Taiwanese political party by "organised crime"...but was there a mainland Chinese angle?

11 May 2013

Dutch media owner reveals youthful dalliance with IRA

If I can find the full interview, I will post it.

10 May 2013

From Chinese factory to UK households – realities of the trade in legal highs

Extract from a new book: Drugs 2.0: The Web Revolution That's Changing How The World Gets High, by Mike Power is published by Portobello Books (

07 May 2013

03 May 2013

Cocaine flows through Sahara as al-Qaida cashes in on lawlessness

There's not a lot of evidence in the article for the al Qaeda assertion, but plenty of evidence that there are many who will take part for the money.

02 May 2013

TE SAT 2013 Terrorism Situation and Trend Report

Europol terrorism report

Murder victim was the leader of a criminal gang

Brief insight into a Lithuanian gang operating in Ireland and possibly elsewhere in Europe.