The impact of COVID-19 on organized crime

The health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about severe human and economic damage across the world. Governments have issued restrictions on economic activity and mobility to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. With numerous governments forcing closures of non-essential businesses, an economic downturn has been inevitable.

A new Research Brief, prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in cooperation with Transcrime, analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on organized crime infiltration in the legal economy and illegal governance.