The Deakin Covert Networks Lab is a supportive community of researchers who use a range of methodological approaches to study organised crime, illicit networks and markets, terrorism and related areas of criminology. We partner with government and industry to translate our research into effective policy and practice.
Our members meet virtually on the first Monday of every month to present new research ideas, seek feedback on drafts and discuss contemporary issues.
Drawing on cross-disciplinary expertise, we examine organised crime groups in both local and global contexts.
We analyse the organisational structures, roles and interactions within covert networks to understand how they operate, adapt and maintain cohesion over time.
We focuses on how covert networks withstand law enforcement efforts, identifying vulnerabilities and developing innovative strategies to disrupt their activities.
We explore the activities, social dynamics and social impacts of organised crime groups and gangs.
We study established and emerging illicit markets (for example illicit nicotine) employing a range of approaches including policy analysis.
Study a PhD in criminology at Deakin and create knowledge that addresses crime in society.
Our members are experts in their fields making a real-world impact in the areas of crime and criminology.
Professor David Bright is a criminologist and forensic psychologist and the lead of the Deakin Covert Networks Lab. His research interests include criminal networks, organised crime and illicit markets.
Dr Giles Oatley received his PhD in Artificial Intelligence in 2000 in the UK. He has designed and co-designed courses and he is currently the program coordinator for Big Data and Analytics at Federation University.
Dr James Martin is an internationally recognised criminologist with extensive expertise in the study of cybercrime and illicit markets, including dark web cryptomarkets and the global war on drugs.
Dr Callum Jones is a criminologist whose research principally focuses on employing data science and network methods to crime and terrorism, and has published widely in the area of extremism—in particular the far right and members of the Manosphere.
Our members conduct cutting-edge research on gangs, outlaw motorcycle clubs, ransomware groups, firearms trafficking and illicit tobacco markets, among other topics.
This research project aims to better understand and disrupt the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs in Australia. Using a mixed-methods approach, it analyses co-offending within and between clubs, tracks changes and develops strategies to prevent and disrupt outlaw motorcycle gang crime.
This project explores patterns of co-offending gangs. It examines predictors of one’s co-offending embeddedness and adopts a multilayer analysis approach to analyse patterns of a co-offending London street gang.
This PhD project is looking at how ransomware groups based in Russia operate. The project seeks to understand how the groups were able to operate effectively and resiliently from the point of view of their organisation and sociopolitical context.
Deakin Covert Networks Lab partners include:
Take an in-depth look at our latest research. For a full list of publications visit the profile pages of our researchers.
Latest publications:
Illicit firearms markets and organized crime: Global, regional and local perspective, D Bright
Ransomware HR: Human Resources Practices and Organisational Support in the Conti Ransomware Group, J Martin, C Whelan and D Bright
The Criminal Activities and Operational Roles of Australian Neo-Jihadists: A Network Perspective, P Screen, D Bright and A Aziani
Examining co-offending and re-offending across crime categories using relational hyperevent models, D Bright, J Lerner and G Sadewo
The utility of social network analysis to examine conflict and collaboration across boundaries: A review and research agenda for Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs. Journal of Criminal Justice, 97, 102346. Bright, D., Whelan, C., Jones, C., & Edson-Wilkinson, K. (2025).
Get in touch to learn more about working or studying with the Crime and Criminology group.
