From drugs to gambling to theft and more, COVID-19 has also had an adverse effect on the criminal organizations and gangs that run these illegal enterprises.

During this pandemic, it’s been noted that while overall crime is down, it’s still happening, and can be seen with the announcement of the Canadian Border officials seizing over $3 million worth of drugs at Pearson International Airport in March.

"Organized Crime Groups will use any means to import controlled substances like fentanyl, heroin and cocaine into Canada,” RCMP Insp. Barry Dolan said in a statement released last week.

While those drug supply chains have been disrupted, as have other lines of criminal enterprises, many organized criminals are scrambling to find ways to exploit this current chaos and uncertainty.

To discuss how organized crime has been affected by COVID-19, Raju Mudhar talks with Peter Edwards, a reporter on the Star’s Courts Crime and Justice team, who has also written 15 non-fiction books on organized crime, many of them becoming national bestsellers.

Listen here or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Read Peter Edwards’ story here.