A recent paper by Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow Dr Martina Baradel and DPhil student Niles Breuer examines the size and structure of drug trafficking networks in Japan.
The study finds that trafficking operations with higher information-processing demands – i.e. operations with many actors and those involved in logistically-complex transport methods – prioritise efficiency, sometimes at the expense of security.
Conversely, smaller networks with simpler transport methods prioritise security and concealment.
Japan’s rigorous enforcement of anti-drug legislation has resulted in a drug market characterised by small-scale operations, a lack of hierarchy, and a separation between wholesale and retail activities.
The market is disorganised, marked by scattered networks that work together or compete with each other in various stages of the drug trade.
Often, actors within these networks rely on existing social connections amongst family and friends, or maintain a limited customer and employee base, in order to minimise exposure.
Like all organised crime groups, drug trafficking networks face a trade-off between security and efficiency. In order to operate, information must be exchanged, decisions must be made, and tasks must be carried out – but these actions can reduce security by creating points of potential visibility to outside observers.
Using novel statistical techniques, this paper analyses 573 Japanese trial documents on wholesale drug importation between 2000 and 2023.
The study found that smaller drug trafficking networks tend to be decentralised, meaning that the removal of one or more key actors would have little disruption. With fewer logistical demands, these networks are able to prioritise concealment from law enforcement.
On the other hand, larger networks, especially those using air travel or shipping, are more centralised. This makes these networks more vulnerable to the removal of key nodes.
Additionally, networks using air travel and ship-to-ship transport require closer collaboration among smugglers, making them more vulnerable if key individuals are targeted.
These larger and more complex networks tend to prioritise processes with the most efficiency, even if this leads to increased security risks.
The increased operational requirements, however, do not mean that these networks will solely focus on bolstering efficiency; a measure of security and concealment is still necessary to ensure that operations are not disrupted.
The paper also found that the yakuza – the collective name for the Japanese mafia – do not engage in drug trafficking as an organisation; when involved, yakuza members instead act as independent entrepreneurs, often fulfilling ‘freelance’ roles as brokers, coordinators, or receivers in drug operations.
Drug trafficking networks with yakuza-affiliated actors also show distinct patterns. In smaller networks with fewer logistical challenges, a yakuza presence encourages low clustering, enhancing security.
In larger networks, the presence of yakuza members promotes clustering, allowing for more efficient communications due to shorter path lengths between actors.
The finding that the presence of yakuza members depresses clustering in smaller networks and promotes it in larger ones suggests that yakuza can leverage their familiarity and criminal expertise to enhance both security and efficiency, depending on the context.
The study fills a substantial gap in the literature by delving into the under-explored domain of the organisation of drug trafficking networks involved in high-level importation in Japan.
Future research will aim to use this database to explore the geography of smuggling routes into Japan, focusing on types of drugs, countries of origin, and transport methods.
