Beyond the shadows: Unravelling organised crime groups active on the Belgian synthetic drug supply market.

Korte beschrijving

Belgium is globally recognized as one of Europe’s main producers and distributors of synthetic drugs ((meth)amphetamine and MDMA), with significant implications for public safety, public health, and environmental harm. The large-scale production and transnational trafficking of synthetic drugs are primarily controlled by specialized organized crime groups (OCGs). However, little is known about the OCGs involved in the Belgian synthetic drug supply market; more specifically, their structure and organization remain understudied. This dissertation aimed to understand how OCGs are structured and organized at all levels of the synthetic drug supply chain in Belgium. It achieves this by examining their social structure, the criminal activities they undertake to maximize profits, and their methods of internal and external governance. Given the hidden nature of organized crime, this research employed a multimethod empirical design, gathering data through a judicial case file study and qualitative interviews with inmates, analyzed using (Financial) Crime Scripting and Social Network Analysis. The results revealed a socially embedded (poly)drug supply market based on trust, in which collaborations were fluid and dependent on external circumstances. The findings indicated a clear division of labour and specialization at the actor level, with limited forms of hierarchy. The OCGs involved proved to be robust, exhibiting high elasticity and resilience to disruption and dismantling. This dissertation contributes not only to the theoretical understanding of organized (drug) crime but also provides practical and policy-relevant recommendations for understanding and targeting drug supply.