On 27 January, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime produced a report saying that, from the diamond trade in Sierra Leone to the heroin trade in Afghanistan, illicit economies have been shown to fund insurgencies and political actors, and to contribute to ongoing conflict. The report considers 3 case studies at different stages of armed conflict to assess the dynamic relationship between criminal networks, illicit economies, and conflict actors and conditions. These 3 case studies offer unique perspectives in terms of duration, size of the conflict area and stage of the conflict.