RUSI and ICMM Roundtable Assesses Organised Crime Risk in the Mining Sector

20 Oct 2025 02:20 PM

Held on 15 October 2025, this closed-door roundtable assessed organised crime in gold mining and its implications for critical mineral supply chains.

The event, hosted by RUSI and the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), brought together senior representatives and leading experts from industry, government and civil society, fostering an in-depth discussion on potential responses to reduce opportunities for organised crime in the mining sector.

Organised crime groups and other armed actors are increasingly involved in illegal gold mining in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, posing a growing threat to security.

Jennifer Scotland, Research Analyst in the Organised Crime and Policing research group at RUSI, notes that:

The soaring price of gold and its challenges regarding traceability have made gold a key strategic resource for armed groups, exceeding cocaine in profitability and serving as a tool to launder proceeds of other serious crimes.

Jennifer Scotland, Research Analyst

This not only empowers these groups but also fuels environmental destruction, deprives governments of vital tax revenue and exacerbates conflict between artisanal and large-scale mining operations. Participants sought to evaluate whether critical mineral supply chains are equally exposed to these risks. 

Amber Rowntree, Senior Manager for Social Performance at ICMM said:

Risks are increasing for energy transition minerals, and as criminal risk and modalities evolve across the mining sector our response needs to evolve as well, making discussions like today critical.

Amber Rowntree, Senior Manager for Social Performance, International Council on Mining and Metals

The discussion underscored how each mineral supply chain has distinct characteristics and risks that must be assessed individually. While minerals such as coltan, copper, and rare earths share some traceability challenges with gold and involve significant artisanal mining activity, differences in transport routes, processing hubs, and market structures are crucial.

Cathy Haenlein, Director of RUSI's Organised Crime and Policing research group, stressed the urgency of addressing these gaps. The discussion highlighted the need for deeper research to map organised crime risks in critical mineral supply chains amid rising demand, and for stronger international coordination and cross-sector collaboration to enhance the mining sector's resilience.

The discussion called for deeper research to map organised crime risks in critical mineral supply chains amid rising demand, and for stronger international coordination and cross-sector collaboration to enhance the mining sector's resilience.

The consequences of criminality in mineral supply chains are wide-ranging, bridging an array of sectors and global agendas. There is an urgent need to raise the profile of this cross-cutting threat, spearheading a push to establish this as an international priority and driving more concerted and coordinated action.

Cathy Haenlein, Director of Organised Crime and Policing Studies

RUSI will publish a more detailed account of the discussions in the coming weeks.