Dr. David Suber

Biography

David Leone Suber lectures on organized crime at the Centre for Criminology and is a member of Border Criminologies. He completed his PhD in 2025 at UCL's Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, focusing on the survival strategies and adaptation dynamics of migrant smuggling groups concerning border enforcement measures and border violence. David has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork along migration routes in West Asia (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey), North Africa (Libya, Tunisia, Egypt), and the Balkan region (Greece, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia). His research interests include smuggling natural resources, cultural heritage, and narcotics. As a freelance journalist, he regularly contributes to international media and has produced award-winning multimedia investigations and film documentaries. David also works as a consultant for NGOs and law firms and participates as a speaker and organizer for cross-sector, cross-disciplinary seminars at universities and think tanks in the Mediterranean. Currently, he is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and Associate Member of St Anthony's College, conducting new research into Syria's post-regime transitional phase, the opening of known secret prisons, and management of justice, security, and crime, as well as the restructuring of government institutions and legitimacy. He welcomes collaborations with fellow researchers, journalists, and students.

Research Interests

Experience