The essay identifies and discusses the social dynamics underlying the proliferation of criminal groups in Port Moresby. It deals with the rise of raskolism (a Melanesian Pidgin word for juvenile gang crime) from the mid-1960's onwards, describes the social organization of the Melanesian gang and examines state responses to lawlessness. In addition, it presents a detailed ethnographic account of a recent criminal group surrender in Port Moresby. That story provides important insights into the political aspect of raskol (gang member) behavior and processes of voluntary exit from crime. The essay concludes with a broad analysis of the social and economic dimensions of urban raskolism. The mass surrender is a strategy for securing funds and a process for developing new avenues for prestige building, both of which underlie a range of contemporary social behavior in Papua New Guinea, including raskolism. However, mass surrenders are unlikely to have a significant impact in reducing raskol activities until they are more effectively connected to sustainable alternatives to crime. References, notes