The Crime-Terror Nexus

This edited volume responds to the need for updated conceptual tools and fresh analytical approaches to critically examine the evolving intersections between organised crime and political violence in a rapidly shifting global landscape. The book develops a multidimensional typology – comprised of co-optation, competition and co-production – that captures the full spectrum of interactions between criminal and terrorist actors. This framework moves beyond linear models to reflect the fluid, adaptive, and context-specific nature of hybrid threats. It then applies the typology to thirteen rigorously researched case studies spanning Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas to illuminate both recurring patterns and unique regional dynamics, offering comparative insights into how the nexus between organised crime and terrorism manifests across diverse political, economic, and cultural environments. This book will be of interest to researchers, advanced students and analysts in the fields of terrorism studies, criminology, security studies, international relations, and political science more broadly. It will also be useful reading for practitioner in government agencies, international organisations and NGOs focused on conflict prevention.