Watch the recording of the SOC ACE webinar launching new research by Olivia Allison (University of Exeter) and David Lewis, Looting Mariupol: Russia’s use of illicit finance and economic crime in occupied Ukraine. Watch Olivia and Tom Keatinge (RUSI) discuss the research findings and consider their potential implications for what comes next for Mariupol.

New research available that investigates Russia’s programme of investment in Mariupol, attempting to turn Mariupol into a showcase Russian city to legitimise its occupation of Ukrainian territory. Accompanied by the illicit seizure of thousands of Ukrainian homes, businesses and assets, Russia plans to make Mariupol the centre of a new transport network, which will ensure the resupply of Russian forces on the frontline and in Crimea.

Olivia Allison & David Lewis

May 2025

Join the SOC ACE Webinar to launch new research by Olivia Allison (University of Exeter/RUSI), ‘Looting Mariupol: Russia’s use of illicit finance and economic crime in occupied Ukraine’ and explore how Russia is using illicit finance and economic crime in occupied Ukraine to create new networks and bolster vested interests, often linked to Russian security services.

Register here or click through for more information!

Today four new publications launch from the research team behind the SOC ACE research project, ‘Negotiating with criminal groups: Colombia’s Total Peace Policy’. The publications, available in English and Spanish, explore the institutional architecture, and analyse the recent trajectory, of Colombia’s ambitious and comprehensive Total Peace Policy, that seeks to encourage actors to lay down their arms, reduce armed confrontation and lessen the impact of violence on communities and civilians.

Listen to SOC ACE researcher Matthew Redhead (RUSI) join hosts of the Secure Line Podcast to delve into the blurred lines between espionage, sabotage, and foreign interference, drawing on insights from his SOC ACE research paper, ‘Old Wine, New Bottles? The Challenge of State Threats’.

Paddy Ginn and Maria Khoruk of GI-TOC and part of the team undertaking SOC ACE supported research into, ‘Power Brokers and Illicit Markets in the Frontiers: Balochistan, Borderlands and the Taliban’ have published two new GI-TOC Analysis Articles, under the project!

Hot off the press, the first newsletter of 2025! See what’s been happening across the SOC ACE family including the publication and launch of major new research on the challenge of state threats by Matthew Redhead (RUSI), tackling extortion in Medellín, Colombia and Russia’s occupation of South-Eastern Ukraine. Find the link to register for Dr Tena Prelec’s 20th February ACE Seminar (online) on Strategic Corruption. Sign up here to regularly receive direct to your inbox!

Listen to Episode 11 of RUSI’s Suspicious Transaction Report Podcast, ‘Incentivising Whistleblowers to Expose Economic Crime’ featuring SOC ACE supported research by Eliza Lockhart!

New ACE Seminar! Join SOC ACE researcher, Dr Tena Prelec (University of Rijeka), and discussants Dr Bertram Lang (Philipps University Marburg) and Dr Claudia Baez Camargo (Basel Institute), to critically explore the concept of strategic corruption, an emerging framework for understanding the instrumental use of transnational corruption in advancing political and economic objectives. Register here or click through for more information!

Listen to SOC ACE researcher, Matthew Redhead (RUSI) and RUSI Director, Centre for Finance & Security, Tom Keatinge, discuss how current day state threats differ from those faced in the past, on Episode 10 of RUSI’s The Suspicious Transaction Report podcast!

Today see’s publication of the much anticipated research by Matthew Redhead into state threats! Launching this evening with a RUSI expert panel including Matthew Redhead, Professor Rory Cormac, and RUSI Trustee, Suzanne Raine, with introductory remarks by SOC ACE Director Heather Marquette, the research offers insights on the understanding and assessment of state threats activity. It examines the scale, scope and significance of the contemporary state threats landscape and considers future trends, highlighting how states are diversifying, decentralising and experimenting in their statecraft.

Today see’s publication of the second of two new briefing notes under the SOC ACE research project, Developing government information and accountability systems for combatting serious organised crime: Medellín demonstration project.

Briefing note 34 offers insights on how novel approaches to measuring less visible organised crime activities such as extortion can be used to inform better diagnosis of the problems associated with organised crime, develop more effective response interventions, and ultimately be used to build the political will that is essential for tackling such a pervasive issue.

Today see’s publication of a new briefing note under the project, Developing government information and accountability systems for combatting serious organised crime: Medellín demonstration project. Briefing note 33 titled, ‘How to Map and Combat Urban Organised Crime: Lessons from the Medellín Impact Lab’ , provides insights on how novel approaches to measurement of less visible organised crime activities, such as extortion, can be used to to better diagnose problems and develop, test and iterate more effective response interventions.

Catch up the last newsletter of 2024 to see new publications on trade-based illicit finance, whistleblower reward schemes and a review of the evidence on security sector reform and organised crime, new projects and episode two of GI-TOC’s podcast on Colombia’s Total Peace Policy! Sign up the regular newsletter here!

New research by Huma Haider is exploring the linkages between transitional justice, corruption and organised crime. A growing body of research argues that corruption is linked to human rights violations, infringing on the enjoyment of civil and political rights. Research also links crimes committed against civilians by state officials to their close relationship with organised crime groups (OCG), finding that OCGs can be responsible for perpetrating acts of violence amounting to crimes against humanity. This research will pool concepts and evidence to promote a shared narrative and framework for thinking about, discussing and addressing accountability and justice for human rights violations, corruption and OC.

Tena Prelec (University of Rijeka) participated in the European Commission’s Policy Webinar on Horizon Europe, Cluster 2, Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society projects, on 06 December 2024. Tena drew on findings from her SOC ACE research on Information Manipulation and Organised Crime, during the session which centred on her research as part of the GEO-POWER-EU, project funded by Horizon.

Watch the full recording of the event launching Eliza' Lockhart’s SOC ACE/RUSI research on the role of financial rewards for whistleblowers in the fight against economic crime, HERE!

Today sees publication of research on the role of financial rewards for whistleblowers in the fight against economic crime! Research by Eliza Lockhart, RUSI, was launched at an event hosted by RUSI on Tuesday 10 December. Eliza was joined by panellists to discuss the importance of economic crime whistleblowers and the effectiveness of economic crime detection and deterrence.

Access the full research paper, featured in a Financial Times article, ‘Should pay whistleblowers to cut financial crime, says think-tank’, by Suzi Ring and Martin Arnold, on SOC ACE publications page!

A new research paper by Dr Sami Bensassi and Arisyi Raz of University of Birmingham Business School, informed by research funded by SOC ACE, has been published in Economica. The open access paper, titled ‘Combating trade-related fraud: do the Financial Action Task Force recommendations bite?’ can be found in Volume 92, Issue 365 of the journal.

Join researcher Matthew Redhead (RUSI) and panellist Professor Rory Cormac at the launch event of the much anticipated research into the concept and characteristics of state threats, at RUSI on 14 January 2025! Sig-up to the in-person event here.

Access the full research paper by Matthew Redhead, Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI, funded by SOC ACE, on the SOC ACE website the same day, 14 January 2025!