Robbery in the illegal drugs trade: Violence and vengeance Robert McLean and James A. Densley Bristol University Press, 2022, pp. 129. ISBN: 978‐1‐5292‐2391‐0

• Published date: 01 December 2023
• Author: William R. Patterson
• Date: 01 December 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/wmh3.559

DOI: 10.1002/wmh3.559

BOOK REVIEW

Robbery in the illegal drugs trade: Violence

and vengeance

Robert McLean and James A. Densley

Bristol University Press, 2022, pp. 129. ISBN: 978‐1‐5292‐2391‐0

Robert McLean and James Densley provide a valuable look into the world of robbery in the

world of drug traffickers, specifically in Scotland. The main methodological approach is the

use of snowball interviews, which deliver a variety of rich narratives from victims and

perpetrators of robbery. From 2012 to 2020, the authors interviewed 75 men and 8 women

who were involved in gang activity or organized crime as well as 38 active offenders. This

approach gives an in‐depth understanding of the phenomenon compared to quantitative

methodology. The findings offer insight into why drug traffickers are often both vulnerable

targets and motivated offenders as well as the dynamics of the planning, action, and

aftermath stages of such robberies. The authors are right when they claim that “What sets

this book apart is that it is shaped by the voices of actors who operate within illicit drug

markets”(p. 11).

This short book is comprised of seven chapters. The first is an introductory chapter that

details existing research on robbery, the methodology of the book, and outlines key findings.

The second chapter describes a historical evolution from robberies typically targeting

places, such as banks and commercial businesses, to more frequently victimizing

individuals and why this transition has taken place. It also explores why robbery specifically

has become prevalent in the context of the illegal drug trade. Chapter 3 delves into the

motivations of offenders, such as material gain, the need to nurture an addiction, status, and

revenge. Chapter 4 describes how drug‐related robberies occur, particularly how they are

planned and executed. It also touches on how people in the drug trade try to protect

themselves from the predation of robbers. Chapter 5 disabuses the reader of the notion that

robberies are always conducted against strangers. Rather, many victims and perpetrators

know each other, and may even be friends or colleagues. The sixth chapter touches on the

lives of former robbers, why they stop robbing, and the factors involved in reform. The final

chapter provides an overview of the findings and make some suggestions based upon them.

The author's interviews garner many insights. They find, for example, that perpetrators

are often former victims. Their “victimization set him up psychologically, but also practically

(in terms of carrying a knife for protection) to partake in robbery”(p. 32). They also uncover

some of the reasons that robbery is so prevalent in the drug trade. These reasons include

that because drug dealing is illegal, victims are less likely to resort to police interventions

coupled with the fact that they do business in cash and often have a sufficient amount of it

(along with drugs) to make robbery remunerative (p. 34). Some of the findings are

unsurprising, such as that drug addicts often resort to robbery when suffering from

withdrawal and have no other means to secure their next fix, but nonetheless, these findings

are important to confirm.

World Med. & Health Policy. 2023;15:727–728.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/wmh3 © 2023 Policy Studies Organization.

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