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Counterfeit aircraft parts are among the most well-known counterfeits and pose a significant risk to public safety. It is estimated that as much as 10% of the legal market for aircraft parts are counterfeits and the presence of these parts on commercial aircraft are more commonplace than many people realise. Yet, criminological research on this pressing issue is remarkably scarce. Informed by accounts from specialised and highly knowledgeable actors embedded in the aviation industry, this paper aims to explore how counterfeit and unapproved parts enter the legitimate supply chain and what factors drive or motivate their circulation and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially designated economic zones render countries vulnerable to crime and harm, while simultaneously diffusing and escalating these problems across the globe. Yet, criminological analysis of special economic zones (SEZs) and similar areas remains limited. This article analyses the kinds of criminality and harm attached to such fiscal and commodity enclaves. Our analysis begins with the history of SEZs. We then offer a typology of related harms: 1. illicit trade; 2. the protection of wealth holdings; and 3. environmental harm. Our closing theoretical discussion suggests how the expansion of economic strategies involving SEZs is generative of new and complex forms of harm and crime embedded in the spatial architecture of the global economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue of Trends in Organized Crime brings together recent empirical research on migrant smuggling. Challenging the overemphasis on 'organized crime' and criminal networks that has long characterized mainstream discussions on smuggling, the contributions refocus our attention towards critical but underexamined dynamics present in the facilitation of irregular migration in a variety of geographic contexts, and shed light on the roles lesser examined elements in smuggling like race, ethnicity, gender, sex and intimacy play in irregular migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an introduction to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on 'criminal markets and networks in cyberspace'. All the contributions to this special issue, even if from different standpoints and focuses, help us understand how cyberspace is (re)shaping offenses and offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an introduction to the articles submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on ‘Crime and Networks’. The aim of this special issue is to advance our relational understanding of organised crime, gangs and crime more generally by presenting six works exploring a diverse set of questions related to organised crime, street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, money laundering and groups operating in cyberspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles that comprise this special issue on violence and organised crime. Bringing together research into money laundering, local elections, state interventions and interrelated processes, firearms and home robberies, enforcers and contract killings, this issue explores the relationship between violence and various facets of organised crime. Taken together, the articles offer empirical and theoretical insights into the processes, logics and economies of violence. In doing so, this issue both advances our current understanding of the role violence plays in organised crime and raises additional questions about the context within which violence is employed, thereby highlighting further avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anabolic-androgenic steroid consumption is considered a significant public health issue in a number of countries but particularly in the northeast of England. Informed by ongoing ethnographic work on steroid use, this article aims to explore two particular dimensions of bodily capital within the overarching context of hyper-masculinity. Towards this end we focus on aesthetic pleasure as the 'boosted' body becomes a site of contemporary consumption before taking a look at the instrumental utility derived from a sufficiently primed and tuned body. Accordingly, and with a view towards the changing currency of bodily capital, we explore the contemporary importance attached to both attaining and maintaining both elements of a 'boosted' bodily capital. The significant role steroids play in facilitating this is then discussed; yet rather than locating its consumption in the realm of 'deviancy', we view it as a means of hyper-conforming to neoliberalism's cultural norms and values. By drawing upon a range of perspectives, we hope to offer up new insights into the demand for steroids apropos the pursuit for an aesthetically pleasing and instrumentally effective body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides some reflections on the articles and the report excerpt included in the special issue of Trends in Organised Crime on organised crime and money laundering policy. The aim of this special issue to invite the reader to re-examine conventional wisdom in this issue area. The papers in this special issue emphasise the variation in policy measures, as they articulate the interplay between national and transnational controls, or focus on the national level but in a comparative way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an introduction to the articles submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on 'Illegal Labour Practices, Trafficking and Exploitation'. The aim of the special issue is to draw together empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on the wider context to illegal labour and exploitation that has implications for identification, detection, prevention and regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis is commonly used for localized quantification of gray matter volume (GMV). Several alternatives exist to implement a VBM pipeline. However, how these alternatives compare and their utility in applications, such as the estimation of aging effects, remain largely unclear. This leaves researchers wondering which VBM pipeline they should use for their project. In this study, we took a user-centric perspective and systematically compared five VBM pipelines, together with registration to either a general or a study-specific template, utilizing three large datasets (n > 500 each). Considering the known effect of aging on GMV, we first compared the pipelines in their ability of individual-level age prediction and found markedly varied results. To examine whether these results arise from systematic differences between the pipelines, we classified them based on their GMVs, resulting in near-perfect accuracy. To gain deeper insights, we examined the impact of different VBM steps using the region-wise similarity between pipelines. The results revealed marked differences, largely driven by segmentation and registration steps. We observed large variability in subject-identification accuracies, highlighting the interpipeline differences in individual-level quantification of GMV. As a biologically meaningful criterion we correlated regional GMV with age. The results were in line with the age-prediction analysis, and two pipelines, CAT and the combination of fMRIPrep for tissue characterization with FSL for registration, reflected age information better. • Different gray-matter volume patterns estimated by different VBM pipelines. • Differences in VBM pipeline outcomes are driven by all involved steps. • Use of general template encouraged when performing cross-dataset ML analysis. • Brain age prediction benefited from fMRIPrep-FSL and CAT12.8 pipelines. • Most suitable VBM pipeline might be different for different applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant body of law and policy has been directed to organised crime generally, with Human Trafficking remaining high on the political agenda. This article conducts a contextualised study of Human Trafficking in the UK, examining the underpinning legal framework before drawing on the expertise of key professionals in the sector, who have been interviewed for this purpose. It is suggested that it is not so much the legal framework that is the problem, but rather there are a number of practical and policy-related considerations that the government should consider as part of their efforts to combat Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an introduction to the articles submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organised Crime on 'Organised Crime in Latin America'. The aim of the special issue is to draw together novel empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on various aspects of organised crime in the particular geographic context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the late 1990s, corrupt practices in Greek football have been considered to pose a serious threat to the integrity of the sport, with a number of schemes and measures being introduced as a response. The aim of this article is to show why corruption in Greek football is inevitable by offering a detailed account of three football-related corrupt practices and highlighting their contextual parameters, as well as juxtaposing them against the set of measures that have been implemented. By placing corruption in football in the wider landscape of the country and of global football, and examining the political, structural and economic factors that contribute to the overall managerial and financial implications of corruption, we present the reader with the new norm which, in reality, makes corruption the 'only game in town'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the introduction to the special issue on 'human trafficking, sexual exploitation and digital technologies'. This special issue contributes to the knowledge base by bringing together four articles that focus on the use of online platforms by human traffickers for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. In doing so, this special issue explores the affordances of online platforms to human traffickers, the challenges faced by law enforcement and other actors seeking to intervene in human trafficking in the digital age, and perhaps pathways towards overcoming these challenges in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation and modern slavery have experienced an unprecedented boom over the past decade due to the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly in digital and networked environments. These developments have created new opportunities for human exploitation and illegal profiteering. Adult Services Websites (ASWs), online platforms on which sex workers post profiles advertising their services, are a key conduit for human traffickers to exploit their victims. Alongside profiles of independent sex workers, traffickers are posting false ASW profiles, advertising the forced services of their victims and camouflaging these false profiles amongst legitimate adverts. In response, police practitioners are proactively investigating ASWs to identify suspect profiles. A key obstacle for practitioners, however, is to distinguish between ASW profiles posted by independent, consenting sex workers advertising their services, and those posted by traffickers exploiting their victims. The exploratory study presented in this paper seeks to address this particular challenge. Working with a British police force, the researchers in this study gathered existing knowledge on the traffickers' use of ASW profiles to create a bespoke tool of analysis, the Sexual Trafficking Identification Matrix (STIM). The aim of this tool has been to identify 'risk indicators' on ASW profiles and to flag these for potential police investigation. This paper presents the results of this exploratory study and its four stages. Furthermore, more broadly, it reflects on the use of evidence-based tools by law enforcement to tackle complex domains of offending such as those of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the field of cryptocurrency in sports being primarily discussed from the material and financial standpoint of industry producers, in our study, we conduct a qualitative exploration into the consumption of Fan Tokens within the realm of football fandom in order to elucidate the experiences and motivations of football fans in their consumption of Fan Tokens. Data collected through 10 focus groups with 60 fan token consumers were used for this study, revealing a nuanced landscape in which Fan Tokens serve a multifaceted role in the construction of fan identity and engagement within the context of football’s serious leisure markets. As such, we uncovered the concept of Fan Tokens as ‘tokens of identity’, where fans employ Fan Tokens as symbolic expressions of their unwavering allegiance to football clubs. We also identified a subset of participants who approached Fan Tokens as ‘investment tokens’, and thus viewed them as a simple rational investment opportunity. Our research unveiled the intricate ways in which the consumption of Fan Tokens intersects with fan identity, engagement, and financial motivations in the world of football fandom, while indicating that Fan Tokens themselves represent a potential form of serious leisure within the broader context of football fandom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles and report excerpt submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on ‘Organised crime and illegal markets in the UK and Ireland’. The aim of the special issue is to draw together empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on various manifestations of organised crime in the particular geographic context(s), the evolution of organised crime, the links between organised crime, the legal sphere and paramilitary groups, as well as an account of the demographic profile and attitudes of citizens in areas in which organised crime groups thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal trade in alcohol has been an empirical manifestation of organised crime with a very long history; yet, the nature of the illegal trade in alcohol has received relatively limited academic attention in recent years despite the fact that it has been linked with significant tax evasion as well as serious health problems and even deaths. The current article focuses on a specific type associated with the illegal trade in alcohol, the counterfeiting of alcohol in China. The article pays particular attention to the counterfeiting of baijiu - Chinese liquor - in mainland China. The aim of the article is to offer an account of the social organisation of the alcohol counterfeiting business in China by illustrating the counterfeiting process, the actors in the business as well as its possible embeddedness in legal practices, trades and industries. The alcohol counterfeiting business is highly reflective to the market demand and consumer needs. Alcohol counterfeiting in China is characterised primarily by independent actors many of whom are subcontracted to provide commodities and services about the counterfeiting process. The business relies on personal networks - family and extended family members, friends and acquaintances. Relationships between actors in the business are very often based on a customer-supplier relationship or a 'business-to-business market'. The alcohol counterfeiting business in China highlights the symbiotic relationship between illegal and legal businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles and report excerpts included in the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on 'Counterfeiting'. The aim of this special issue is to add to the relatively sparse literature currently available that addresses this expansive and complex criminological phenomenon. In particular, the special issue draws together empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on the organization of the counterfeit trade across a broad spectrum of goods, and highlights a number of issues associated with researching counterfeiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is an effect of both feature space and ML algorithm on prediction error. • Voxel-wise features performed better than parcel-wise features. • GPR, KRR and RVR algorithms performed well. • The within-site and cross-site delta-behavior correlations disagree. • Higher brain-age delta inference in AD depends on data used for bias correction. The difference between age predicted using anatomical brain scans and chronological age, i.e., the brain-age delta, provides a proxy for atypical aging. Various data representations and machine learning (ML) algorithms have been used for brain-age estimation. However, how these choices compare on performance criteria important for real-world applications, such as; (1) within-dataset accuracy, (2) cross-dataset generalization, (3) test-retest reliability, and (4) longitudinal consistency, remains uncharacterized. We evaluated 128 workflows consisting of 16 feature representations derived from gray matter (GM) images and eight ML algorithms with diverse inductive biases. Using four large neuroimaging databases covering the adult lifespan (total N = 2953, 18–88 years), we followed a systematic model selection procedure by sequentially applying stringent criteria. The 128 workflows showed a within-dataset mean absolute error (MAE) between 4.73–8.38 years, from which 32 broadly sampled workflows showed a cross-dataset MAE between 5.23–8.98 years. The test-retest reliability and longitudinal consistency of the top 10 workflows were comparable. The choice of feature representation and the ML algorithm both affected the performance. Specifically, voxel-wise feature spaces (smoothed and resampled), with and without principal components analysis, with non-linear and kernel-based ML algorithms performed well. Strikingly, the correlation of brain-age delta with behavioral measures disagreed between within-dataset and cross-dataset predictions. Application of the best-performing workflow on the ADNI sample showed a significantly higher brain-age delta in Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment patients compared to healthy controls. However, in the presence of age bias, the delta estimates in the patients varied depending on the sample used for bias correction. Taken together, brain-age shows promise, but further evaluation and improvements are needed for its real-world application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the application of scanning laser optical tomography (SLOT) for visualization of anatomical structures inside the human cochlea ex vivo. SLOT is a laser-based highly efficient microscopy technique which allows for tomographic imaging of the internal structure of transparent specimens. Thus, in the field of otology this technique is best convenient for an ex vivo study of the inner ear anatomy. For this purpose, the preparation before imaging comprises decalcification, dehydration as well as optical clearing of the cochlea samples in toto. Here, we demonstrate results of SLOT imaging visualizing hard and soft tissue structures with an optical resolution of down to 15 μm using extinction and autofluorescence as contrast mechanisms. Furthermore, the internal structure can be analyzed nondestructively and quantitatively in detail by sectioning of the three-dimensional datasets. The method of X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (μCT) has been previously applied to explanted cochlea and is solely based on absorption contrast. An advantage of SLOT is that it uses visible light for image formation and thus provides a variety of contrast mechanisms known from other light microscopy techniques, such as fluorescence or scattering. We show that SLOT data is consistent with μCT anatomical data and provides additional information by using fluorescence. We demonstrate that SLOT is applicable for cochlea with metallic cochlear implants (CI) that would lead to significant artifacts in μCT imaging. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the capability of SLOT for resolution visualization of cleared human cochleae ex vivo using multiple contrast mechanisms and lays the foundation for a broad variety of additional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusses articles on topics including trends in the illegal tobacco trade in the Czech Republic, the social organization of the illicit tobacco market in Greece, and the financial aspects of the illicit tobacco trade in Italy.

Over the last two decades official and media discourses have paid increasing attention to the proceeds of 'organized crime'. However, although there is a relatively sound understanding of finance-related issues in the drug markets, not much is known about other illegal markets. Drawing on a diverse set of original empirical data, including interviews with active criminal entrepreneurs involved in the trade, this article provides an account of the financial management of the illicit tobacco business in the United Kingdom. The study has two main objectives. First, to increase knowledge on the financial management of 'organized crime' by using the illegal tobacco trade in the United Kingdom as a case study and second, to further knowledge of the trade's social organization. The findings suggest a critical departure from the discourses on 'organized crime' and crime money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since China initiated its economic reforms in 1978, illegal gambling has become the primary source of revenue for organized crime groups. However, there remains a startling paucity of literature on the subject. This paper provides the first scholarly account in English of Chinese illegal gambling organizations and examines how three major types of enterprising entities (local gambling dens, trans-regional gambling rings and online gambling networks) mitigate external uncertainties. Using Chinese- and English-language sources, it explores how gambling organizations develop strategies to achieve optimal efficiency in the face of substantial challenges, including finance, marketing, debt collection, and police suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of physical and biomedical imaging techniques, such as digital holography, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enable measurement of the phase of a physical quantity additionally to its amplitude. However, the phase can commonly only be measured modulo 2π, as a so called wrapped phase map. Phase unwrapping is the process of obtaining the underlying physical phase map from the wrapped phase. Tile-based phase unwrapping algorithms operate by first tessellating the phase map, then unwrapping individual tiles, and finally merging them to a continuous phase map. They can be implemented computationally efficiently and are robust to noise. However, they are prone to failure in the presence of phase residues or erroneous unwraps of single tiles. We tried to overcome these shortcomings by creating novel tile unwrapping and merging algorithms as well as creating a framework that allows to combine them in modular fashion. To increase the robustness of the tile unwrapping step, we implemented a model-based algorithm that makes efficient use of linear algebra to unwrap individual tiles. Furthermore, we adapted an established pixel-based unwrapping algorithm to create a quality guided tile merger. These original algorithms as well as previously existing ones were implemented in a modular phase unwrapping C++ framework. By examining different combinations of unwrapping and merging algorithms we compared our method to existing approaches. We could show that the appropriate choice of unwrapping and merging algorithms can significantly improve the unwrapped result in the presence of phase residues and noise. Beyond that, our modular framework allows for efficient design and test of new tile-based phase unwrapping algorithms. The software developed in this study is freely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorism and insecurity pose significant global concern and Nigeria has been bedevilled by Boko Haram – a terrorist group deemed one of the deadliest terrorist groups in the world. While the Nigerian government have adopted concerted counterterrorism approaches to tackle terrorism, very limited success seems to have been achieved and the synthesis of community perspectives of government interventions appears lacking. This study makes an original and significant contribution by adopting a systematic review approach to synthesise existing studies on community perspective on the drivers of involvement in terrorism and on Nigerian government’s responses. Six databases were searched, and 21 studies met the review criteria. Informed by thematic analysis principles and the conceptual framework of synthesis, the study finds a sense of disconnect between the government approach to counterterrorism and community perspectives. The study recommends a context-specific community informed response to insecurity towards improving existing counterterrorism measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Football match-fixing in Greece has a relatively long history, however, from the late 1990s it has been considered as a serious problem for the sport in the country. Despite the history of the phenomenon in the country, Greece has only relatively recently been identified as one of the hotspots for football match-fixing on an international level. Following the recent scandal exposure of fixed matches in Greece in 2011, also known as Koriopolis (a pun name on the Italian scandal Calciopolis and the Greek word 'korios' or phone-tap), detailed information about numerous matches played in the 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons that attracted UEFA's attention were brought into the public eye. Soon after, legal action was taken against individuals involved in the process, with a number of club officials facing lifelong bans from any footballrelated activity, and football clubs either relegated or excluded from European competitions and the Super League itself for their involvement in the scandal. In May 2013, the number of people facing charges exceeded 200, with some of them having already been imprisoned for their involvement in the scandal. Following the aforementioned scandal exposure, a vast amount of information regarding football match-fixing was made available to the public. The aim of the current article is to provide an account of the social organisation of football match-fixing in Greece. Our account is based on three main sources of data: the telephone conversations that were the result of wiretapping by the National Intelligence Agency in relation to the latest football match-fixing scandal (of 2011), published media sources, and interviews with informed actors from the realm of Greek football. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles, report excerpts and book reviews submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime bringing forward numerous empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on sports, corruption and 'organized crime'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging investigations, clinicians remain with the challenge of how to implement this paradigm on an individualized basis. Here, we assessed the clinical relevance of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging acquisitions in patients with disorders of consciousness by means of a systems-level approach. Three clinical centres collected data from 73 patients in minimally conscious state, vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and coma. The main analysis was performed on the data set coming from one centre (Liège) including 51 patients (26 minimally conscious state, 19 vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, six coma; 15 females; mean age 49 ± 18 years, range 11-87; 16 traumatic, 32 non-traumatic of which 13 anoxic, three mixed; 35 patients assessed >1 month post-insult) for whom the clinical diagnosis with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised was congruent with positron emission tomography scanning. Group-level functional connectivity was investigated for the default mode, frontoparietal, salience, auditory, sensorimotor and visual networks using a multiple-seed correlation approach. Between-group inferential statistics and machine learning were used to identify each network's capacity to discriminate between patients in minimally conscious state and vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. Data collected from 22 patients scanned in two other centres (Salzburg: 10 minimally conscious state, five vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome; New York: five minimally conscious state, one vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, one emerged from minimally conscious state) were used to validate the classification with the selected features. Coma Recovery Scale-Revised total scores correlated with key regions of each network reflecting their involvement in consciousness-related processes. All networks had a high discriminative capacity (>80%) for separating patients in a minimally conscious state and vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. Among them, the auditory network was ranked the most highly. The regions of the auditory network which were more functionally connected in patients in minimally conscious state compared to vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome encompassed bilateral auditory and visual cortices. Connectivity values in these three regions discriminated congruently 20 of 22 independently assessed patients. Our findings point to the significance of preserved abilities for multisensory integration and top-down processing in minimal consciousness seemingly supported by auditory-visual crossmodal connectivity, and promote the clinical utility of the resting paradigm for single-patient diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser based cell manipulation has proven to be a versatile tool in biomedical applications. In this context, combining weakly focused laser pulses and nanostructures, e.g. gold nanoparticles, promises to be useful for high throughput cell manipulation, such as transfection and photothermal therapy. Interactions between laser pulses and gold nanoparticles are well understood. However, it is still necessary to study cell behavior in gold nanoparticle mediated laser manipulation. While parameters like cell viability or perforation efficiency are commonly addressed, the influence of the manipulation process on other essential cell parameters is not sufficiently investigated yet. Thus, we set out to study four relevant cell properties: cell volume and area, ion exchange and cytoskeleton structure after gold nanoparticle based laser manipulation. For this, we designed a multimodal imaging and manipulation setup. 200 nm gold nanoparticles were attached unspecifically to canine cells and irradiated by weakly focused 850 ps laser pulses. Volume and area change in the first minute post laser manipulation was monitored using digital holography. Calcium imaging and cells expressing a marker for filamentous actin (F-actin) served to analyze the ion exchange and the cytoskeleton, respectively. High radiant exposures led to cells exhibiting a tendency to shrink in volume and area, possibly due to outflow of cytoplasm. An intracellular raise in calcium was observed and accompanied by an intercellular calcium wave. This multimodal approach enabled for the first time a comprehensive analysis of the cell behavior in gold nanoparticle mediated cell manipulation. Additionally, this work can pave the way for a better understanding and the evaluation of new applications in the context of cell transfection or photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an introduction to the articles submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime on 'COVID-19 and Organized Crime'. The aim of the special issue is to draw together a range of empirical studies from around the world to explore the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for both organized criminals and law enforcement agencies. The pandemic required organized criminals to adapt their practice in light of government restrictions, but it also created new profitable opportunities. At the same time, however, COVID-19 posed significant challenges for law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles submitted to the special issue of Trends in Organized Crime bringing forward numerous empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on Chinese organized crime in China and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trafficking in children has attracted worldwide attention in the last two decades primarily due to its links with global migratory movements and the role 'transnational organised crime' is perceived to play in these. Internal trafficking is largely ignored primarily because of a preoccupation with cross-border, transnational migratory movements. Arguably, the growth of the relevant literature has given rise to certain widespread perceptions about the uniformity in the trade characteristics and actors under the common rubric of 'trafficking in human beings'. By capitalising on direct linguistic access to a wide range of Chinese open sources, the purpose of the article is to offer an account of the various dimensions of the issue as they present themselves in the particular Chinese context. Our main concern has been to perform a systematic presentation of this material in light of the extant wider literature. In the Chinese case the combination of socioeconomic, political and cultural factors set a complex picture that highlights the shortcomings of dominant ways of thinking about the phenomenon. This complex picture serves usefully to cast doubts with regard to how the criminal activity itself is being conceptualised as well as to perceptions of victimisation embodied in current discourses on human trafficking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper—by using the pirated CD/DVD market in a provincial city in Greece as a case study—will attempt to show how alien conspiracy theory has permeated the understanding of ‘organized crime’ and how the concept serves to enforce racism and, in particular, the treatment of diasporic communities. The paper will then proceed to interrogate the concept in the context of the local operation of this market in tandem with various legitimate interests and how, despite the exhortations of powerful commercial forces, it is tolerated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article aims at providing an account of the social organization of the cigarette counterfeiting business in the People's Republic of China—a business that has been feeding the cigarette black markets around the globe. Specifically, we aim to exhibit the scale and nature of cigarette counterfeiting in mainland China, describe the practices and actors in the different phases of the trade, and examine the role of corruption and violence in the particular business. We argue that cigarette counterfeiting is one of the side effects of China's reform and ‘opening up’ policy, and a feature of the country's economic development process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper provides an introduction to the articles bringing forward empirical research findings and theoretical accounts on drug markets, raising questions about the nature of the relationship between the organization of drug markets and the official frameworks surrounding them, and, importantly, about the complexity of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to provide an account of the social organisation of the ecstasy market in Greece. Concern about ecstasy production, distribution and use in Greece has risen since ecstasy appeared in the country in the early to mid-1990s, and continues to be fuelled by media reports which reinforce the perception that there are huge profits for traders. Moreover, the Greek authorities have adopted a ‘war on drug’ rhetoric when it comes to ecstasy trafficking. Thus, the fact that such mentalities are commonplace, while the knowledge deficit about the particular market remains gaping, makes it an imperative to examine the structure and dynamics of the ecstasy market in the country. We aim here to provide an account of the ‘extent’ and nature of the ecstasy market in Greece as well as a presentation of the ‘actors’ involved. We also explicitly focus on the issue of price of ecstasy tablets in the country, which we regard as key to the understanding of the logic of this particular market. Our investigation of various aspects of the market concludes with a number of more systematic observations regarding the particular business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses aspects of the contraband cigarette in Greece, with the aim of contributing to discussion about the impact to the health of smokers who smoke cigarettes bought from the Greek black market. The author uses data based from an empirical research about the smuggling of cigarette in Greece. He concludes that economics does not have direct influence over the issue, and that there is indirect and direct identification of contraband cigarettes against counterfeit.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Marina Tzvetkova on the emergence and evolution of private protection in Bulgaria, and by Jana Arsovska and Panos Kostakos on the illicit arms trafficking in the Balkans.

The article discusses the perception of migration and migrants in Greece by law enforcement authorities. Ethnicity and immigration, organised crime, riots in the suburbs of Paris, France in 2005, and the terror attacks in Great Britain all contributed to a heated debate on the issue of migrants. The article examines police attitudes towards Albanians, Romanians, Bulgarians, Russians, Indians, Africans, and Serbs amongst other nationalities. Attitudes and epithets expressed ranged from "dangerous," "inhumane," and "Mafiosi" to "very good people" and "hardworking." The article concludes that programmes need to be established to train police regarding the needs of immigrant communities and the needs of the victims of racist violence.

Based on my experience of conducting an ethnographic study with the Kurdish community in a town in the North East of England I offer a reflection on interviewing three retired cigarette smugglers, who operated in Greece in 2002 and 2003. A reflection on my experiences in this research process is provided with a reference to the absolute and relative value of the (data from the) interviews conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The smuggling of contraband cigarettes is discussed in relation to numerous financial and social issues. Cigarette smugglers are often portrayed as ruthless and dangerous individuals, and according to official and media accounts a clear link has been established between cigarette smuggling and 'criminal and terrorist organisations'. The aim of this article is to challenge this stereotypical image of the cigarette smugglers based on the presentation of the stories of four smugglers interviewed in Greece and the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the policing of racist violence in Greece. There have been a large number of racist incidents in Greece of which received little attention. Several cases that highlight police indifference towards migrants and minorities have also been documented by Amnesty International. The perception that particular minority and migrant groups are intrinsically criminal is studied.

The article provides a detailed case study of a cigarette smuggling network, operating in Greece, which is termed as a source, transit and destination for smuggled cigarettes. According to official figures for the period 2000-2004, there were 39,941,392 packs of cigarettes seized, with the tax evation exceeding Euro 107 million. The case studies have been used in other projects to throw more light on the structure and working of organized crime. Cigarette smuggling is supported by the smoking population in the country and there appears to be a tolerant environment to the cigarette smuggling.

The article presents a study on the impact of ethnicity or the migrant status of an offender on the inclination to report a crime to the police in Greece. The review of literature, methodology and the findings are discussed. The results indicate that there is a greater tendency among the Greek public to report crimes committed by migrant offenders than crimes committed by Greek offenders. Majority of the participants explained that they would be more likely to report migrant offenders since the migrant offenders have crime in their blood. The responses of the participants are enumerated. The migrant offender has been found to be less appealing than the local offender of the same criminal activity.

This article provides an account of how an active trafficker in Greece feels about the trafficking of women and whether he rationalizes his behavior within the possible context of Sykes and Matza's techniques of neutralization. A number of theorists, including the work of Matza have suggested that individuals first commit deviant and criminal acts and then provide a number of rationales for their activities in order to appease their guilt and/or shame. Based on the interviews conducted with the active trafficker of adult women in Greece, the first four techniques of neutralization were evident based on the context of information and description provided by the trafficker. The trafficker denied that there was a victim; he denied being responsible for the choice the women made; he denied that they incurred any overt injury after becoming involved in a risky trade; and he condemned the condemners--that is the public and police who in some cases solicit the services of such women. The only element that did not appear evident was his appeal to a higher loyalty. This in our opinion reflects the rather opportunistic nature of the organized crime groups that are largely involved in the trafficking of women in the country.

The `dark figure' of crime is a key aspect in understanding crime rates, as it constitutes an obstacle in validating the quantification of criminality. Theft, although it is significant in terms of perceived personal victimisation, may be trivial in terms of financial cost in many instances, and it is thought to have a big `dark figure'. The purpose of this research note is to provide some information about the police recording of theft, one of the factors that influence the construction of its `dark figure', in a prefecture in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to examine the extent to which the British 1998 Crime and Disorder Act (CDA) has introduced elements of a restorative approach as part of a mainstream response to youth offending. Moreover, it attempts to examine whether, by introducing restorative justice elements, young offenders are being held more or less accountable for their actions. The CDA generally appears to be one of the most liberal pieces of legislation ever passed. Specifically, some of its provisions such as reprimands and warnings, restorative conferencing, or reparation orders, are thought to add a restorative element to the youth justice system, although this is applicable to some special cases, and under certain circumstances. Thus, it could be said that the Act introduces restorative elements but to a very small extent to be perceived as the mainstream response to youth offending. Ironically, although not discussed at length, similar provisions have been incorporated into the Youth Criminal Justice Act in Canada, but given its relative infancy it is not possible to offer any concrete observations as to its relative effectiveness. Many provisions of the Act, such as detention and training order, are rather punitive. In many respects too it did nothing but change the names of the old, punitive, criminal care order to supervision order, and the old intermediate condition to action plan order.