Libya: Sanctions Alone Won’t Shut Down Libya’s Illicit Economies

But they have forced those involved in crime networks to lower their profiles and adapt their activities.

Twelve years on from Libya’s revolution, the country remains fragile. The government has limited reach, with de facto power exercised by competing armed groups.

Libya’s instability and lack of state control have helped drive a massive rise in the country’s illicit economies. Fuel smuggling is endemic, with networks moving large volumes within Libya and to neighbouring countries. Drug…