Disrupting the Global Business of Organised Crime: A Strategic Playbook for Banks

Organised crime business models vary greatly across the world, shaped by differences in economic conditions, cultural norms, law enforcement strategies, and the availability of illicit opportunities.

Global Organised Crime: Key Activities & Regional Specialisations

In Europe, organised crime groups often focus on drug trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeit goods, and cybercrime. For example, the Italian mafia such as the 'Ndrangheta and Camorra engage in activities like extortion, drug smuggling, and even waste management fraud, while Eastern European groups specialise in human trafficking and arms smuggling.

In North America, organised crime often revolves around drug distribution networks, cybercrime, fraud, and gang activity, with Mexican cartels dominating smuggling routes into the US. In Latin America, the primary focus is on drug production and trafficking, particularly cocaine and cannabis. The region’s geographical advantages and proximity to consumer markets, such as the United States, make this profitable. Cartels like Sinaloa and CJNG run vertically integrated operations, controlling everything from cultivation to global distribution.

Meanwhile, in Asia, criminal organisations such as Chinese triads and Japanese yakuza are highly diversified, engaging in activities ranging from human trafficking and wildlife smuggling to counterfeiting and even legitimate business ventures. In Africa, organised crime is often shaped by political instability and weak governance, with groups involved in smuggling gold, diamonds, wildlife, arms, and people. West African networks, particularly Nigerian groups, are also well-known for cybercrime and international drug trafficking.

Organisational Structure: From Mafia Hierarchies to Decentralised Networks

The organisational structures of these groups differ significantly. Some, such as the Italian mafia and the Japanese yakuza, follow rigid hierarchical models with clearly defined roles, which help ensure their longevity. In contrast, Latin American cartels and African criminal networks often operate in more decentralised ways, outsourcing tasks or forming alliances with local gangs.

Many cybercriminal groups and human trafficking networks have adopted highly flexible, decentralised structures, facilitated by advancements in technology, which makes them more difficult to dismantle.

From Cartels to Cybercrime: How Criminal Groups Exploit Technology

Technology plays an increasingly critical role in organised crime. In more advanced regions like Europe and North America, groups leverage the dark web, cryptocurrencies, and sophisticated hacking tools. For instance, Eastern European cybercrime networks excel in ransomware attacks and financial fraud. In developing regions like Africa and Southeast Asia, technology is often used for lower-tech scams, such as phishing or romance fraud, though physical smuggling methods remain dominant.

How Organised Crime Infiltrates Legitimate Economies & Launders Profits

The way these groups interact with legitimate economies also varies. In Europe and Asia, criminal organisations frequently infiltrate legitimate businesses, such as real estate, construction, and gambling, to launder their profits. In Latin America and Africa, however, organised crime networks often focus on bribery and political infiltration, taking advantage of weaker banking systems and regulatory frameworks to move illicit funds. In some regions, these activities create parallel economies, undermining state authority.

Political Political Corruption & Organised Crime: The Role of Governance & Conflict

Political and social conditions also play a significant role. In regions with weak governance, such as parts of Latin America and Africa, cartels and syndicates often wield direct influence over politics through corruption or violence. In contrast, in countries with more stable governance, such as many in Europe and Asia, organised crime tends to operate more covertly. For example, the Japanese yakuza maintains a semi-legitimate façade, blending criminal operations with legitimate businesses.

Regions experiencing conflict present unique opportunities for organised crime. In areas like the Sahel or Syria, criminal networks profit from smuggling weapons and people, exploiting weak state presence and porous borders.

Cross-Border Organised Crime: The Impact of Globalisation on Criminal Networks

Globalisation has also enabled organised crime groups to collaborate across borders. For instance, there are well-documented cases of counterfeit goods moving from China to Europe, drugs being trafficked from Latin America through West Africa to Europe, and Eastern European cybercriminals selling ransomware tools to criminals worldwide.

Top 10 Financial Sector Innovations to Combat Organised Crime in 2025

Despite significant investments in AML/CFT compliance programmes, organised crime always seems to stay one step ahead by exploiting regulatory gaps, technology, and global inconsistencies. To truly disrupt organised crime, banks need to go beyond traditional approaches and innovate in ways that fundamentally change the game. The global financial sector needs to move from reactive to proactive strategies to get ahead of  organised crime. Below are the Top 10 innovative strategies that banks need to adopt in their bid to outsmart  organised crime:

1. Move from Compliance to Intelligence-Led Strategies

To disrupt criminal operations effectively, financial institutions must shift from a regulatory box-ticking mindset to intelligence-led strategies. This means moving from simply detecting suspicious activity to preventing it using predictive analytics. By recognising transaction patterns that suggest early-stage money laundering or fraud, banks can act before harm is done. Rather than targeting isolated transactions, institutions should map entire criminal networks including individuals, entities, and accounts to reveal the full scale of illicit operations. Embedding financial crime experts such as former law enforcement officers or intelligence analysts can also enhance investigative capabilities, enabling banks to adopt the same mindset as the criminals they pursue.

2. Invest in Advanced Technologies

Organised crime groups are leveraging sophisticated technologies to stay ahead of law enforcement, and financial institutions must do the same. AI-driven behavioural analysis tools can detect subtle anomalies in customer behaviour, such as low-value structuring or sudden changes in transaction patterns, which may indicate money laundering or layering. Real-time monitoring systems provide an opportunity to halt suspicious transactions before they are completed, rather than relying on retrospective reviews. As quantum computing threatens to undermine current encryption protocols, banks must begin preparing with quantum-resistant cryptographic solutions. Additionally, synthetic data can be used to train AI models on criminal typologies without compromising customer privacy, accelerating innovation in a compliant way.

3. Harness Collective Intelligence

A significant weakness in the current anti-financial crime landscape is the siloed nature of institutions, which criminals readily exploit. Financial institutions must foster collective intelligence by participating in shared platforms where banks, fintech firms, and law enforcement agencies can exchange transaction data, typologies, and intelligence in real time. An expansion of initiatives like SWIFT’s Financial Crime Compliance programme could offer more detailed, timely insights. Collaborating with adjacent sectors such as telecommunications, logistics, and social media can also yield critical data points—for example, tracking the movement of trafficked individuals or identifying online marketplaces for counterfeit goods. Emerging technologies like federated learning enable banks to share insights derived from AI models without exposing raw data, preserving privacy while enhancing detection.

4. Take the Fight to the Organised Crime Ecosystem

Rather than focusing solely on financial transactions, banks should target the broader ecosystem that enables organised crime. Disrupting key nodes such as corrupt professionals, front companies, and logistical service providers can have a disproportionate impact on criminal operations. For example, identifying and blacklisting gatekeepers like rogue accountants, lawyers, or company service providers involved in setting up shell companies can obstruct the creation of money laundering channels. Banks should also focus their analytics on cash-intensive businesses such as casinos, car washes, and real estate firms, which are commonly exploited for laundering illicit funds. Monitoring payments to freight companies or digital platforms used for trafficking and smuggling operations can further undermine organised crime infrastructure.

5. Innovate in Public-Private Partnerships

Stronger public-private collaboration is essential to fighting organised crime effectively. Banks should advocate for real-time data exchange mechanisms with law enforcement, allowing them to share intelligence more dynamically rather than relying solely on slow-moving Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). Initiatives like the UK's Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT) demonstrate the value of operational task forces where banks, regulators, and police collaborate on live investigations. Beyond compliance obligations, banks should take the lead in proactively sharing trend analyses, risk indicators, and typologies with authorities to shape preventative strategies.

6. Target Emerging Markets & Technologies

Organised crime groups frequently exploit gaps in oversight in emerging markets and novel technologies. Financial institutions must take a proactive stance in monitoring these areas. For example, the rise of digital assets necessitates investment in blockchain analytics tools capable of tracing illicit cryptocurrency flows. Banks should also advocate for the development and enforcement of global standards for virtual assets and exchanges. Trade-based money laundering (TBML) remains a significant vulnerability; innovations such as digital trade documentation and blockchain-based supply chain tracking can provide greater transparency. Working with FinTech and RegTech firms enables banks to pilot cutting-edge tools for monitoring emerging payment channels like digital wallets and prepaid cards.

7. Think Beyond Financial Indicators

Organised crime often operates outside traditional financial systems, so banks must expand their detection frameworks to include non-financial indicators. Environmental crimes such as illegal logging, mining, or fishing can be uncovered using satellite imagery, and financial flows related to these activities can then be traced. Collaboration with social media platforms allows financial institutions to track the digital footprint of criminal groups engaged in activities like human trafficking or the sale of counterfeit goods. Incorporating organised crime risk into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assessments ensures that bank investments do not inadvertently support illicit operations, enhancing both compliance and reputational resilience.

8. Innovate Incentives

To encourage proactive disruption rather than defensive compliance, banks must rethink internal incentives. Performance metrics should include key performance indicators (KPIs) that reward the successful prevention and disruption of criminal activity, not just the fulfilment of regulatory requirements. Innovation grants can be established to fund internal teams experimenting with novel approaches to financial crime detection. Regulatory sandboxes (i.e. controlled environments where institutions can trial new technologies without fear of penalties) can accelerate adoption and allow for quicker responses to evolving threats.

9. Enhance Transparency & Accountability

Transparency is a key weapon in the fight against organised crime. Banks should adopt blockchain-based Know Your Customer (KYC) systems to create tamper-proof records of customer due diligence that can be shared securely across institutions. Lobbying for global, publicly accessible beneficial ownership registries will help limit the abuse of anonymous shell companies. Supporting the development of secure digital identity systems can further reduce instances of synthetic identity fraud, improve onboarding processes, and build trust in digital banking channels.

10. Change the Narrative

Finally, banks must reframe their approach to organised crime. It should not be seen as merely a compliance cost but as a strategic imperative. Financial institutions should integrate the disruption of organised crime into their core mission, with board-level oversight and investment. Communicating the broader societal impact of fighting financial crime (e.g. protecting communities, upholding the rule of law, and defending democratic institutions) can help galvanise internal support and prioritise innovation in this space. By turning compliance into competitive advantage, banks can build a reputation for resilience and integrity in a volatile global landscape.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, organised crime thrives on its ability to adapt to regional dynamics, exploit technological advancements, and operate in the gaps between jurisdictions and regulations. Whilst traditional measures like AML compliance and SARs have been instrumental in fighting organised crime, they are no longer sufficient in an era of increasingly sophisticated criminal operations. Banks and the broader financial sector must adopt innovative, intelligence-driven strategies that proactively disrupt criminal networks, rather than simply reacting to suspicious activity.

By investing in advanced technologies, fostering collaboration across industries, targeting criminal ecosystems, and advocating for greater transparency, the financial sector can take a leading role in dismantling the financial lifelines of organised crime.

It is not enough to follow the rules; banks must reshape the narrative, viewing the fight against organised crime not as a compliance obligation but as a strategic priority that protects society, the financial system, and their own reputations. True progress will require bold innovation, stronger partnerships, and a relentless commitment to staying ahead of criminal ingenuity.

Is Your Bank Prepared to Fight Organised Crime in 2025?

The fight against organised crime demands more than box-ticking. Financial institutions must shift from reactive compliance to proactive disruption, using intelligence, technology, and strategic partnerships.

OpusDatum works with forward-thinking banks and fintechs to build smarter, faster defences against criminal networks. Get in touch to see how we can help you turn financial crime risk into strategic advantage.