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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) into crime-fighting and present new criminal landscapes in the Western Balkans Six (WB6) (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) at the beginning of the pandemic crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper builds on the content analysis of legal acts, strategic documents, academic articles, media reporting, official documents, four semi-structured interviews with civil society organisations, two consultations with police officers and two consultations with civil society organisations.FindingsIn the first nine weeks of the spread of COVID-19, the WB6 experienced a small rise in the price of marijuana. The same applied to stimulant drugs like ecstasy and amphetamines. However, very little heroin was available. Prices of protective face masks, disinfectants and medicinal alcohol skyrocketed due to attempts at price gouging. There were cases of scams using mobile and digital technologies, as well as burglaries of newspaper or cigarette kiosks, shops, pharmacies and exchange offices. It was difficult to determine whether the smuggling of and trafficking in human beings experienced a decline or increase. No cases of sexual exploitation for providing online services were noted, although the number of calls made to organisations that assist in the area of human trafficking increased. People with drug and alcohol problems, persons living with HIV, those susceptible to stress, citizens with mental health problems, pensioners, the poor, the homeless and recently released prisoners were the biggest potential victims of crime at the onset of the crisis brought by the pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings are limited to specific forms of crime (illicit drug trade, economic crime, fraud, scams, theft, smuggling of and trafficking in human beings) in the WB6 and based on findings from four interviews and four consultations, together with available secondary data.Originality/valueThis is the first overview of criminal activities occurring in the WB6 during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse - through a prism of informal institutions - the role and importance of security in healthcare and the manner in which healthcare sector copes with security threats in postmodern society. We note that bad informal institutions are differently reflected in Slovenia. In the forefront are the problems of systemic corruption, various forms of clientelism and nepotism. This is (in)directly reflected in the (lack of) quality of Slovenian healthcare system. Inadequate public procurement system and conflicts of interest in healthcare sector are causing inferior quality of the healthcare system, while informal institutions in politics and economics are weakening Slovenian economy, consequently affecting the funding of Slovenian healthcare system which is also undermined by the financial crisis. Additionally, globalisation, which has a (negative) impact on human health, has caused the importation of improper business practices into healthcare system. It is therefore necessary to develop a preventive action that will inoculate the idea of a safe country for the benefit of people and not for the benefit of bad informal networks.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of studying the quasi-legal forms of informal economic behaviour that we know as the white informal economy. The paper also sheds light on the role of the informal economy in the financial crisis that started in 2008. Finally, the aim of the paper is also to encourage empirical research about these concepts.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is theoretical and based on a literature review.FindingsThe paper implies that when discussing about informal economy, different sub-categories should continue to be used in order to distinguish the various forms of informal economic practices. There is a particular need for research on practices of economic activities that are legal but not always moral, yet severely damaging. For such activities, the authors propose the term/categorisation the "white informal economy". Additionally, the authors argue that in the causal links of events that brought about the financial crisis the role of the white informal economy was significant.Practical implicationsThe paper wishes to encourage further research on the topic of (white) informal economy that in turn would also create the scenario for proper policy development for tackling tax avoidance, tax evasion and future financial crises.Originality/valueThe paper adds to scholarship that takes a critical standpoint towards the financial crisis and to scholarship on the informal economy. It presents an attempt to stimulate further discussion about the connectivity of the informal economy and the financial crisis.

The paper analyses how corruption affects the Rule of Law in Slovenian local self-governments through qualitative analysis of corruption cases and interviews. We discovered that corruption, its influence on local society is increasing, where everyone (especially mayors) attempts to avoid obligations and find loopholes into the law in order to benefit. There is a common belief that illegal behaviour and negative consequences to the Rule of Law is due to human greed and the role of informal networks. The main consequences are increasing levels of negative economic effects, mistrust in public institutions, inequality and environmental destruction.