New research uncovers sheer magnitude of assassinations linked to organized crime

In 2019 and 2020, at least 2 700 people in 84 countries were the targets of contract killings linked to organized crime, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC)’s latest research. The GI-TOC’s Global Assassination Monitor records contract killings around the world in the hope of contributing to a better understanding of the dynamics behind such assassinations, inform better policy responses and help victims seek justice.

The GI-TOC has developed a unique and novel database on contract killings worldwide. The Global Assassination Monitor, a disaggregated data-collection project that is part of the GI-TOC’s Assassination Witness initiative, records hits and attempted hits. (To be classified as contract killings, the murders need to meet two criteria: they target specific individuals and they involve some form of contract, with the perpetrators receiving a reward for the killing.) The database draws on extensive research of international and national media sources, and the results of this analysis will be presented in the forthcoming report ‘Killing in silence: Monitoring the role of organized crime in contract killings’.

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