International Seminar Discusses Organized Crime and Illicit Markets and Launches New Research on Illegal Economy in Brazil
On June 24 and 25, 2025, the Institute of International Relations at USP (IRI-USP), through the School of Multidimensional Security (ESEM) and the Oswaldo Aranha Chair of Security and Defense (COA), held the international seminar Organized Crime and Illicit Markets in Brazil and Latin America: Building an Action Agenda. The event brought together over 300 participants and national and international experts in security, organized crime, cybercrime, and terrorism.
During the opening, ESEM announced the upcoming launch of the 1st National Research on the Demand for Illicit Goods and Services, scheduled for the second half of 2025. This survey will gather unprecedented data on the consumption of illegal and irregularly traded legal products, such as cigarettes, electronics, and alcoholic beverages. The goal is to support public policies to combat the illegal economy.
A scholarship program for doctoral research was also launched, focusing on the illicit market of electronic cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine products, with particular attention to organized crime activities in the Triple Frontier. Applications will soon be available on the ESEM website (esem.org.br).
The seminar featured prominent speakers such as Michael Miklaucic (National Defense University), Mark Shaw (GI-TOC), Gretchen Peters (ACCO), Benjamin Lessing (University of Chicago), Giovanni Melillo (Italy’s National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor’s Office), Lincoln Gakiya (MPSP), as well as federal deputies Tábata Amaral and Pedro Paulo, who presented proposals for the new legislative agenda of the Public Security Forum of the Chamber of Deputies.
Coordinated by Professor Leandro Piquet, faculty member at the Institute of International Relations at USP (IRI-USP) and Coordinator of the School of Multidimensional Security (ESEM), the event reaffirmed ESEM as one of the leading forums in the country on organized crime and public security policies, emphasizing international cooperation and the development of integrated solutions to address transnational criminal challenges.
Learn more about ESEM: esem.org.br
Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo (from the Italian National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor's Office) participated in a seminar of the Oswaldo Aranha Chair (USP-IRI-Esem) on organized crime - @alexsandrophotografia
Leandro Piquet, (IRI, USP, Esem) - @alexsandrophotografia
Michael Miklaucic, Titular Cátedra Oswaldo Aranha - @alexsandrophotografia
Mark Shaw, GI-TOC - @alexsandrophotografia
Gretchen Peters (ACCO) - @alexsandrophotografia
Benjamin Lessing (University of Chicago) - @alexsandrophotografia
LincolnGakiya, MPSP - @alexsandrophotografia
The deputaties Pedro Paulo(Rio de Janeiro), Tábata Amaral (São Paulo) and Bruno Langeani (Instituto Sou da Paz) - @alexsandrophotografia
Access the event program here.
Check out below the articles published in the press related to the event (the possibility of accessing the articles depends on the criteria set by the respective media outlets):
Globonews
https://g1.globo.com/globonews/playlist/globonews-ultimos-videos.ghtml#video-13704917-id
