P072 - Organised drug trafficking in China - mechanism of the route formation and group operation

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

Chinese organised drug-related crimes have received limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, this study endeavours to comprehensively map the organised drug trafficking network within China and elucidate the mechanisms behind the formation of trafficking routes across 41 major Chinese cities from 2012 to 2022. Through analysis of court records, the research generates a drug trafficking map using a network approach. The findings reveal distinct patterns of drug flow among the cities, highlighting a clear division of roles as origin, transit, and destination points within the network. The result also identifies significant changes in the network's structure over the past decade, this is potentially due to the dramatic lifestyle changes and the development of infrastructure. Additionally, the studies explored the group operational mechanics from perspectives of transportation, payment, recruitment, and communication.

Author

• Shujing Shi, University of Cambridge