Examining Crime Resilience in Southeast Asia

The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (the Global Initiative) is a network of over 500 experts dedicated to strategizing against transnational organized crime in the areas of human rights, democracy, governance, and development. The Global Initiative enlisted a Capstone team to investigate why transnational organized crime and its actors are able to adapt quickly to existing interventions and continue to prosper. The team examined factors contributing to the resilience of illicit flows of drugs, arms, wildlife and animal products, gold, precious stones, and human trafficking across Southeast Asia. The team researched existing trends and policies surrounding these flows, including structural and socio-environmental characteristics that enable them to prosper. The team performed independent research, qualitative analysis of data gathered through interviews with NGOs and independent experts, and site visits in Bangkok, Thailand. The team’s work culminated in a final report synthesizing its findings and evaluating patterns uncovered during its research.