Vladislav Krastev serves as an Analyst in the Center for the Study of Democracy’s Security Program concurrently pursuing his PhD at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. His academic background is in Criminology and Political Science, and he has extensive professional experience in policy analysis and qualitative research. Krastev has engaged in conducting targeted interviews and contributing to the development of case studies in a variety of areas, including the illicit tobacco trade, human trafficking, vehicle theft, cybercrime, illegal logging, and firearms trafficking. His work examines political and social dynamics, with a focus on Bulgaria and the Balkans.