Abstract
The chapter provides a critical exploration of the limitations of the proposed flow-network approach, its underlying data, and the assumptions that are involved in its usage. At the same time, it examines at length the calculi required to perform the analysis through recourse to examples and reasoning about the proceeds generated from cocaine trafficking. The step-by-step description of the entire methodology is driven by the fact that the illegality of trafficking activities makes it difficult to estimate their overall size and value, a point which forces one to adopt numerous assumptions. The chapter concludes by arguing that only by carefully assessing the data, underlying assumptions, and limitations of the adopted method can researchers correctly interpret the results and continue to refine the methods.
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Notes
- 1.
North American markets constitute an exception; indeed, the methodology and the data underpinning this consumption estimate are different for this area, as they directly lead to purity-adjusted volumes which do not require further refinement.
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Aziani, A. (2018). Data and Assumptions Behind the Application of the Flow-Network Approach to the Cocaine Trafficking. In: Illicit Financial Flows. SpringerBriefs in Criminology(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01890-0_4
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