This edited volume examines the use of militarised responses to different forms of criminal activity, discussing the outcomes and unintended consequences. Politicians and policymakers frequently use militarised responses to look tough on crime. The deployment of armies, navies, military assets and militarised approaches can send a powerful message, but have produced mixed results. While they generate the perception that governments are actively engaged on issues of concern to the public, and in some cases have resulted in notable successes, on the downside they have frequently also increased the loss of life, exacerbated the humanitarian consequences of a particular crime and entrenched divides between security and state institutions and the criminal proponents, narrowing the possibilities for future negotiated solutions. By focusing on four different areas of criminality - wildlife crime, piracy, migration and drug trafficking - the book allows context and evidence-based conclusions to be drawn on the strategic value and commonality of responses and their outcomes.

Introduction: Militarised Responses to Organised Crime.- A War of Ideas: the Evolution of the Militarisation Debate.- Section 1: Wildlife Crime.- 1.1. The War on Kruger: rhino trafficking in Southern Africa.- 1.2. Blood Ivory in the Horn of Africa: countering terrorism and trafficking with the same toolbox.- 1.3. Environmental Governance: The Need for a Balanced Approach.- 1.4. "A blunt instrument": addressing criminal networks with military responses, and the impact on law enforcement and intelligence.- Section 2: Piracy.- 2.1. Criminals or Pirates? Attacks in the Eastern Indian Ocean.- 2.2. A growing, but little understood threat: Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.- 2.3. The Dangers of Success: Military Responses to Somali Piracy.- 2.4. Replicating Success? What have we learned from Somalia.- Section 3: Migration.- 3.1. Smugglers Inc.: the illicit industry in human migration.- 3.2. The militarisation of the US Border.- 3.3. From Triton to Sofia: assessing the credibility of the EU's naval interventions against migrant smuggling in the Mediterranean.- 3.4. The protection implications of 'getting tough' on smugglers at sea.- Section 4: Drug Trafficking.- 4.1. Governing the Drug Wars.- 4.2. Lessons from Brazil: Military action in the Favelas.- 4.3. The Violence of Drug Trafficking.- 4.4. An Issue for Public Health.- Conclusion: The future of military intervention and the need for Comprehensive Approaches.