Infiltration, interdiction, and other covert supply chain operations: a research agenda

Purpose The masterminds behind covert supply chain operations aim to hide their activities from government agencies and society at large, often for illegal gains or to intentionally cause harm. This conceptual article outlines a research agenda for future studies by framing covert supply chain activities and the countermeasures used to disrupt them. Design/methodology/approach Secondary data were collected from various news sources (observation) and analyzed to understand the nature of covert supply chain operations and efforts to identify and disrupt them (conceptualization). Findings To date, covert supply chain operations and counter-operations categories have been scarcely scrutinized in the supply chain literature, and our framework presents many fruitful avenues for further research. Practical implications Policymakers may aim to enhance the visibility of covert supply chains to achieve strategic objectives. Our framework enables logistics providers, network orchestrators, and shippers to identify vulnerabilities and detect covert infiltration by hostile actors within customer supply networks. Originality/value The mainstream supply chain literature has viewed supply chains of illegal goods and disruptive counter-operations as piecemeal. This conceptual article addresses the topic holistically to create a framework for guiding future research.